That Awful Boy
by The Spatula Chick
Summary: LilyJames romance, the usual. Petunia had always hated the Potters, for as long as she could possibly know. From the very fist day she met him, James Potter was just "that awful boy."
1. The Perfect Couple

That Awful Boy  
  
Author: Hello, new Harry Potter author here. I've been reading James/Lily fics and (no offense to anyone) but I noticed that a lot of them.suck. They aren't anything like I imagined. Most of the good ones were written before Order of the Phoenix, and so the characters are just a little bit off. (It's actually incredibly cool how accurate some are though!) Anyway, this in mind, I just had to make my attempt.  
  
But as I was rereading Order of the Phoenix, I discovered that I was very interested in Lily's home life and her relationship with her sister. What was it that made Petunia keep Harry? Dumbledore said something about the blood bond being sealed and all that, but really it was Petunia's choice. They must have had a very interesting home life! And then I got to thinking, what would James make of that? What would Lily's parents make of James? And why does Petunia despise James, besides the obvious reason of hating her sister? Quote Petunia: "that awful boy"  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; it is the property of J.K. Rowling, whom I admire greatly! ^^  
  
That Awful Boy  
  
Chapter one: The Perfect Couple  
  
Lily Evans and James Potter were the perfect couple. They were head boy and girl, James was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Lily was top student. They had begun dating over the summer before their seventh year when Lily's hate letter was answered with a long, romantic note involving several descriptions of her beauty, intelligence and loving personality by James.  
  
"I never knew he felt that way," Lily wrote to her best friend Saraline Stokes, who promptly replied that James had been telling everyone about his undying love for Lily Evans for years, and that Lily was a numbskull for not realizing it before now. Anyway, they were in love, and destined to get married and do great things, but there were some things that James particularly wanted accomplished before asking his wonderful girlfriend to be his wife.  
  
One was to finish school. The second was to meet her family.  
  
Lily made it no secret that her parents were muggles, but she avoided the subject when possible, even when James asked her right out.  
  
"They aren't mean.they just don't understand things." Was all she would say when asked if they hate magic.  
  
That brings us to the discussion that the couple was having, three days before the start of the Christmas Holidays. Both of them were leaving Hogwarts for home, but James was insistent with his invitation that Lily come to meet his family. She finally gave in, agreeing that she would spend Christmas with the Potters.  
  
"I suppose you want to be invited to my house too huh?" she sighed. They were sitting in the common room by the fire, pretending to be studying and trying to set a good example for the younger kids, but failing miserably. Maybe because the holidays were near, or maybe because Gryffindor had won the Quidditch match that morning, but no one seemed to want to settle down. The Head boy and girl ignored this commotion most unconcerned, far more interested in their conversation.  
  
"Well yes, I was hoping for that." James admitted. Actually, it was exactly what he wanted. There was something that must be discussed with Lily's parents.  
  
"And I was hoping you wouldn't." Lily sighed. "And it isn't that they wouldn't like you!" She added hurriedly at the look on James's face, "Its just that I don't think you would like them very much, and it wouldn't be much fun."  
  
"Anyone related to you can't be that bad, can they?" James asked.  
Lily just smiled.  
  
*****  
  
Dear Mum and Dad,  
  
I can't wait to see you again and I hope you are well. I wrote to let you to know that I am invited to James Potter family's Christmas and plan to stay there for a few days, on Christmas. Also, I invited James to dinner this Thursday, so that you can have a chance to meet him.  
  
All my love,  
  
Lily  
  
*****  
  
The Hogwarts Express traveled swiftly through the countryside, and Lily gazed at it distractedly as it flashed by her window. She had the feeling she was forgetting something dramatically important.but for the life of her she couldn't remember what it was.  
  
"Evans!" a voice called her out of her daze and she snapped to attention.  
  
"What is it?" she asked. Peter Pettigrew, a disheveled looking guy with mousy hair puffed heavily, catching his breath.  
  
"Sirius- and- James- back car- some first years," he panted. He seemed to have run all the way to the front car to tell his friends off. Lily stood, grimacing. If James and his friends were tormenting first years (quite unacceptable for the head boy!) then she would have to at least make an effort to recover the remains of the poor young souls.  
  
"Thanks Peter, I'll go check on them." Peter nodded and collapsed into an unoccupied chair, waving as she made her way out of the car.  
  
Lily opened the door to the very last compartment warily, in case there was a scene in there she would rather not witness. She had taken her time to get there, telling of some fifth years for making out in the corridors, and saving a first year's lost toad from some menacing looking Slytherin third years.  
  
Peeping into the compartment, she found it to be dark and quiet, customary for a surprise attack by James and his friends.  
  
"I know you are in there James Potter! One of your friends tipped me off!" She drew her wand and stepped boldly into the compartment, waiting for an ambush.  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Lumos!" Lily ordered, and a light lit the darkened space.  
  
Still no sign of James or the marauders. Slightly annoyed, Lily began a spell to make anyone else in there burst into loud singing, but before the words could leave her open mouth, something soft touched her.  
  
She tried to scream, but somehow someone had placed a silencing charm on her and she found herself unable.  
  
Soft laughter was in her ear, and lips touched hers.  
  
"James," she mouthed, "sometimes I don't know if I want to hug you or kill you."  
  
It was unmistakably James's gentle kiss, and unmistakably his warm body she held, in a more passionate moment of kissing, she reached up and yanked the hood off of the invisibility cloak and jumped back.  
  
"Lily!" Sirius yelled.  
  
She slapped him.  
  
He cursed loudly, turned red, and yelled, "James Potter I swear I'm going to kill you!"  
  
James howled with laughter, and the lights came on in the compartment.  
  
"You- you- hahahahah-you thought it was Natasha! And you Lily!" James stood up, indignant with the idea, at last. "You kissed my best friend!"  
  
"I thought it was you!" Lily yelled. She thought about slapping him, but Sirius beat her to it. He head butted James right into the seats on the other side.  
  
"Ow! Sirius, old buddy what was that for!"  
  
"For being a bloody nuisance, that's what! You told me that I'd be making out with Natasha Wood!"  
  
"You're a dope, because Natasha stayed at school for the holiday!" Lily said.  
  
James nodded, then looked at Lily and mocked disappointment.  
  
"I can't believe you, kissing Sirius like he was me, I'm.torn between my best friend and my one true love!" He pretended to faint, but Sirius caught him before he hit the floor.  
  
"Surely you'll choose me, since I can pull pranks and kiss, while Lily here can only kiss."  
  
James stood up and winked. "But kissing isn't all that Lily can do! Some things are better than pranks Padfoot!"  
  
Lily fumed. "That was horrid of you James! I didn't think it was funny one bit!"  
  
She sank into a seat and glared at him. He just grinned and shrugged, sitting beside her.  
  
"I thought it was brilliant. You know something? I wish we could always be like this." He said dreamily. He had a look in his eyes like deep thought.  
  
"What, fight all the time?"  
  
"No, be together, just us," he said.  
  
"Hey! What about me!" Sirius asked.  
  
"You can come sit between us," James offered. Lily rolled her eyes. "Besides, that was what I meant anyway, me and you and Lily. My favorite people."  
  
"I'm honored." Sirius said. Lily was silent.  
  
"Oh Lily, I'm sorry. I thought it was a very clever joke, forgive me?"  
  
"If you were really sorry I might!"  
  
"I am sorry!"  
  
Lily glared, but when she met his hazel eyes, a piece of her melted and her severe look faltered. James took that opportunity to kiss her, and she distinctly felt a passion that wasn't there in Sirius, a non polite, down to business 'I love you' kind of passion.  
  
"I forgive you." She said, and James smiled.  
  
"I'm so charming!"  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes, waved at them and left, saying he had more important things to do than watch them get naked.  
  
Lily hauled her trunk off the train and went to greet her parents, hugging James one last time.  
  
"See you Thursday," she called, waving, and leaving him. She scanned the crowd for her mom or dad, who were always there to greet her. There they were! Standing a ways away, looking for her.  
  
"Mum, Dad, Petunia," Lily said happily. She hugged her parents and smiled at her older sister.  
  
"Lily! Have you shrunk?" Mr. Evans exclaimed. Indeed, compared to Petunia, Lily was a tiny thing. But then, compared to Petunia's figure, Lily was still a little girl.  
  
"No, I managed to stay away from shrinking potions this term." Lily answered. Petunia actually gave her sister a brief smile, but she was busy scanning the crowd in the station, probably hoping to catch the eye of a nice looking guy.  
  
The Evans family ushered their youngest daughter to the car for the ride home, Lily bracing herself for the blow.  
  
"So," Her father said, and Lily inwardly groaned. He had that tone.. "Who's this boy we're going to meet Thursday?"  
  
"Just a guy, my friend James." Lily said calmly. Petunia smirked excitedly.  
  
"Does little Lily have a boyfriend?" She asked.  
  
"Well.err.I guess you could call him that." Lily said hesitantly.  
  
"Oh Lily! This is great!" Mrs. Evans said. "We were beginning to get a bit worried that you would never..I mean, Petunia's been bringing boys home for supper for years now." She seemed so pleased that Lily bit her tongue and swallowed the rude comments about Petunia being home for more than three months out of a year for the past seven years, and about Petunia's choice of clothes compared to Lily's conservative robes.  
  
Petunia, seeming to know exactly what her sister was thinking, she stuck out her prominent bust for all to see.  
  
Lily was pretty, in a completely different way. She had dark red hair and green eyes. "Bewitching" according to her mother, and her figure was rounded and petite. Petunia was tall, thin, and blonde, pale green eyes and perfect figure.  
  
"Is James from your school? I mean, is he a witch?" Her mother asked, interrupting her thoughts.  
  
"James is a wizard mother, and yes, I know him from school. He's a talented athlete and very good student." Lily's mother was clearly impressed by this, but Petunia wasn't.  
  
"I bet he's a toad." She muttered under her breath, scowling. Probably she was just jealous. Probably.  
  
***** Author: Well there's the first chapter. Please tell me what you think, good, bad or otherwise. Just be polite about it ok? Please? ^.^ Thanks! 


	2. Home for Dinner

Author: Thank you for the kind words, and Quack Quack 88 for the tip. (I'll keep that in mind next time) Also feel free to correct me if you see something that I messed up in the books, because I love searching for evidence and stuff, and if you leave and email I will do my best to find it for you! ^.^ Oh, and I have multiple siblings and can tell you, this is how it is.  
  
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, and even the characters that I made up could be hers to if she really wanted them! (Wow would that be cool!)  
  
Chapter Two: Home for dinner  
  
Thursday afternoon, Lily nervously paced the house, waiting for James. He said he was going to apparate, since he had taken the test the day after he turned seventeen a few months ago he was very eager to try it out. Her mother was already in the kitchen with her father, and Petunia was upstairs.  
  
"Petunia!" Lily called for her sister, who poked her head out of her bedroom and looked down the stairs at her.  
  
"What?" Petunia demanded.  
  
"We need to talk, can you come down?"  
  
"No. Come up here if you have to see me!" she retreated back into her room and slammed the door.  
  
After a deep breath, Lily climbed the stairs and stepped into Petunia's room. It was very neat and clean, besides a pile of dresses on her bed and the make up on the dresser, everything was stacked and organized. Lily thought ruefully of her own room, which seemed to produce more and more mess the more days she was home.  
  
"You know James is coming tonight." She said. Petunia nodded, holding up a particularly tight looking blue dress and surveying herself in the mirror.  
  
"I'm going out though, I can't meet him."  
  
"What?! The whole point is for him to meet you and mum and dad! Besides, where have you got to go?"  
  
Petunia seethed. "I have a life here you know, and a boyfriend! If you even bothered to ask you would know that he and I are engaged!"  
  
Lily was stunned and stood silently in awe of her sister.  
  
"You- You - you never wrote to tell me you were engaged." She said finally.  
  
"As if you even care!" Petunia let the blue dress fall to the floor and faced Lily angrily.  
  
"Of course I care! You're my sister! How dare you agree to marry someone I never met! And how dare you purposely make a date the night my boyfriend is coming over!"  
  
"If you bothered to give us an address to reach you at maybe I would have written! If you hadn't gone away maybe you would have met him! Can't you be happy for me?!"  
  
"I tried to but you're so stuck up!"  
  
"I hate you!"  
  
"I hate you more!"  
  
Lily turned and left, slamming the door behind her in a fit of rage.  
  
"You watch it Petunia because come my birthday I can legally use magic on you!" she yelled through the door.  
  
"Girls! No fighting!" Ms. Evans called from the kitchen.  
  
Lily ignored her and went to her room.  
  
Imagine the nerve of her sister! It wasn't like she had chosen to go away to school. It wasn't as if she was the one scared to use owl post. She wasn't the one who was engaged without telling her own sister! Lily sank onto her bed, tears in her eyes.  
  
What had she done to deserve her sister's anger? She punched her pillow, then threw it across the room, where there was a loud crack, then an "Oof!" as the pillow his something solid.  
  
"James!" Lily exclaimed, jumping to her feet and wiping her eyes. James rubbed his stomach and glanced around the room.  
  
"Is this right? Oh! Lily Evans, imagine meeting you here!" He said. One hand rubbed his messy black hair and the other fixed his glasses properly to his face, and he smiled broadly.  
  
"James you made it!" Lily said happily, hugging him. He was wearing his black school robes, and looked fantastic. Petunia would be furious! Toad? Ha!  
  
"Come on, you have to see my parents." She said. She grabbed his hand and led him out her bedroom door and down to the kitchen. Petunia's door was still closed, and Lily assumed she was moping. Oh well, she'd be out of the way anyway.  
  
"Mum! Dad! James is here!" Lily called. James was met with scrutinizing gazes from both parents, but Lily seemed oblivious. "He's just apparated, which is like teleporting you know, and very complicated. Here, sit." She ushered him to a chair where he smiled friendlily at the Evans. Lily kept babbling.  
  
"This is my mum, Ms. Evans, and my dad, Mr. Evans," each took their turn shaking James's hand, openly welcoming him to their home.  
  
"Potter is it?" Mr. Evans asked, and James nodded.  
  
"James Harold Potter." He said, beaming.  
  
"I hear you're quite a guy," Mr. Evans continued, but was interrupted by Lily.  
  
"Dad, Petunia says she's going out tonight, is that right? I told you last week James was coming." James looked from one to the other cluelessly. Lily seemed frustrated. They would have to talk later.  
  
"Well its her right, seeing as today's her birthday. Her fiancé is coming to pick her up in an hour."  
  
Lily's face drained of color and she clutched at the table.  
  
"Its her birthday?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, " said Ms. Evans, "We were going to bake a cake but she said she would rather go out with just Vernon tonight."  
  
Lily groaned and looked near tears. James watched helplessly.  
  
"I forgot! Oh that was why she was so mad! Oh.." Lily buried her face in her arms miserably, receiving a pat on the back from her father comfortingly.  
  
"Now little Lily, its ok, you've had lots going on lately, I'm sure you can apologize to her when she comes down."  
  
"Little Lily?" James whispered at his girlfriend incredulously. "I'm gonna have to try that one."  
  
"Oh shove it James!" Lily muttered. How could she forget Petunia's birthday?! Her own sister! It would be enough to make anyone mad. But not only that, she had scheduled for her own boyfriend to come over the very night they were supposed to celebrate for Petunia.  
  
"James quick, you're old enough, can you transfigure something into a necklace or something?"  
  
James blanked.  
  
"What!? Here?" The pleading look in Lily's eyes made him rethink his statement. "Err.. if your parents don't mind.?" he asked.  
  
The Evans's actually looked eager to see a bit of magic.  
  
"I'd do it myself mum, but until next month I can't do magic outside of school. But James turned seventeen a few months ago, and he can." Lily explained.  
  
"What shall I transfigure?" James asked. Lily scanned the kitchen.  
  
"Can you make a fork into a ring?" Ms. Evans asked.  
  
"I can try." James said. Lily looked a bit skeptical. James was very good at transfiguring things, after all, but if he messed up it would be her head. She gave him an encouraging smile and fetched a fork from a drawer.  
  
James took out his wand and screwed up his face, trying to remember the exact way to make it melt and bend..  
  
There was a slight pause, and then in place of the fork was a pretty, simple, silver ring, with a flower pattern like what was on the fork.  
  
"Perfect!" Lily said, snatching it up and planting a sloppy kiss on James's cheek. He turned pink at the stares of her parents, but grinned at them sheepishly.  
  
"Gotta love her." he said, watching the knowing smile of Ms. Evans and the disgruntled but approving look of Mr. Evans.  
  
Lily ignored them and examined the ring, quickly taping some napkins together for wrapping.  
  
Just as Lily was finishing, Petunia poked her blond head into the kitchen. She was wearing the tight blue dress she had examined in the mirror upstairs, and her hair was carefully curled.  
  
"Mum, Vernon will be here any second-" she spotted James, robed and wand out, and frowned at him with contempt, then gave Lily an icy glare. James was taken aback for a moment, then jumped to his feet and stuck out a hand to shake, wide smile on his face.  
  
"Pleased to meet you, you must be the lovely Petunia. I've heard lots about you." Petunia, bewildered and flustered, shook his hand but didn't smile. She eyed the wand in his hand warily.  
  
"Yes.you must be."  
  
"James Potter." He provided, bowing and winking. Petunia, still stunned, didn't return the friendly grin.  
  
"Petunia, I've got something for your birthday!" Lily piped up, shattering the awkward silence expertly. She rushed over and held out the napkin-taped gift.  
  
"Err.thank you Lily, I'll open later. With the cake." She tucked it into her purse, still refusing to meet Lily's eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry about all that nonsense earlier, I don't hate you. I just dislike you with a very loud dedication."  
  
"Lily!" Ms. Evans reprimanded, but Lily just rolled her eyes and seated herself at the table next to James.  
  
The phone rang before she could continue, and Petunia picked it up, smiling and talking sweetly.  
  
"Oh hello Vernon!" her voice was sickening with love. "You can't what. Oh. Oh I see. Why?" The sweetness was gone and she suddenly looked very pale. "A fever? Can I come over and help you? Oh she is. Ok. Yes. Promise to get better. Yes. I love you. Goodbye."  
  
Petunia hung up the phone, her face sad and her hair limp.  
  
"Vernon's got a fever, his sister is there helping him recover and making him soup, but she forbids him to go out," she said. There was bitter disappointment in her eyes.  
  
"Oh sweetie!" Ms. Evans engulfed her in a hug and sat her down. "Let me make you some tea. You can eat dinner here with James and Lily and us, and I'll bake a cake, there is still time after all.you're birthday is only once a year." She bustled around making things ready for tea, and Mr. Evans nodded in agreement.  
  
"There's no reason we can't have a nice family party for you!" he said.  
Lily felt awful for her sister, but secretly was glad that she would be miserable. It was nice not to feel guilty for her sister's misery for a change. Suddenly James stood up, brandishing his wand.  
  
"Well we might as well decorate for a party!" he said. "Dento petretrium." Pink streamers shot out of his wand and attached themselves to the walls of the kitchen. Balloons inflated themselves at the proper intervals, and a pink crown of flowers appeared on Petunia's head. Mr. and Ms. Evans applauded, but Lily and Petunia looked less than pleased.  
  
"Show off," Lily muttered. Petunia looked aghast.  
  
James smiled at his handiwork and sat back down, pleased.  
  
"Lily dear, set the table please, the roast is about done!" Ms. Evans called. Lily complied, and Petunia sat half-heartedly at the table, still looking rather foolish in her tight blue dress.  
  
***Author: Questions? Comments? Next chapter will be up tomorrow or the next day. ^^ 


	3. The Birthday Bash

Chapter Three: The Birthday Bash  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  
  
Author's note: Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate them greatly. ^_^ Its weird knowing that people I know will be reading this.kinda creepy actually. I told all my friends I was writing a HP fanfics and they demanded to read it. I was flattered, and most of them liked it! (that I know of.)  
  
Dinner was on the table and the Evans family plus James Potter were in an uncomfortable silence. Streamers decorated the walls in celebration of Petunia's Birthday, but there was an aura of disappointment surrounding the birthday girl. Lily, who would normally take this opportunity to torment her only sibling, was unusually subdued.  
  
"So James, tell us about yourself. Lily tells us you're an athlete?" Ms. Evans asked politely.  
  
James perked up at the attention, and Lily rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yes, actually. I'm Quidditch captain at my school."  
  
"Err.James they don't know what Quidditch is." Lily said quickly. But the boy wasn't even fazed.  
  
"So I'll fill them in, if they're interested?" Mr. Evans nodded vigorously, and James commenced to explain. Petunia was on the verge of listening, but seemed uncertain.  
  
James pulled something out of his pocket and tapped it with his wand.  
  
"Oh!" Ms. Evans exclaimed, "It's cute!" A golden snitch fluttered in his hand, trying to escape.  
  
"When I catch this, the team gets 150 points and the game ends. Nasty little thing to spot sometimes though. The trick is to look for a little blurry flitter, hiding somewhere."  
  
He released it and the muggles, entranced, watched it fly around the kitchen. Suddenly it zoomed by Petunia's head and she squeaked loudly, jerking her head and catching the snitch in her perfect blond curls.  
  
"AAAAIIIIEEEEEEEKKKK!!!!" She screamed and flailed wildly, everyone watching wide-eyed as she struggled to remove it.  
  
"Hold still!" James said, pointing his wand at her hair. "I can get it out.hold still!" Lily was almost amused.  
  
"Just blast it out!" She offered. Horror struck, Petunia wailed even louder and flailed even wilder than before.  
  
"Electus imortatem." James said, and Petunia's hair was free of the struggling snitch. Unfortunately, quite a chunk of Petunia's hair was freed along with it. It was now incredibly lopsided; one half frizzled blonde curls, the other half.short, fried blonde.  
  
Lily looked surprised for a moment, and then burst into laughter.  
  
"Ah, so sorry. just if you had stopped moving.my aim was a little off.err. so sorry." James stuttered. With a sinking feeling, he realized that he had probably ruined the Evans impression of him.  
  
Petunia felt what was left of her hair and began to sob. "Err, if you let Lily make a potion. a little bit of opossum nose hairs might grow it back.she's good with that sort of thing.sorry again." James's face was red, and Lily was still laughing. Her mother shot her an 'it isn't funny at all' look, and she quieted a bit.  
  
"James, it isn't your fault." Lily started, but she was interrupted.  
  
"It is! You and your friends and their awful magic! You ruin everything Lily! I hate you! You should stay at school and never come home!" She ran from the room and left the others sitting with their half full plates in stunned silence.  
  
James took his seat and grimaced. Surely Lily's parents hated him now. He had ruined their oldest daughter's birthday.  
  
"That was interesting." Mr. Evans said cheerfully. "Good bit of magic, I'll say. Can you do anything like that Lily?"  
  
James stared. Was he. impressed?  
  
"Of course I can. I'm top student in the entire school. I could do that with my eyes closed." Her voice was airy and proud.  
  
"Yes, you always were the clever one." Ms. Evans agreed. James was awed. Did they not notice that Petunia had run screaming from the room?  
  
"Pass the salt James, there's a dear." Lily's mother asked. He complied, still completely bewildered.  
  
"I'll explain later." Lily whispered as she reached across the table for more green beans.  
  
Dinner continued pleasantly enough, without Petunia the family seemed even more eager to hear about James's accomplishments. They seemed impressed and glad that such an honorable young man managed to capture their daughter's heart.  
  
When the cake was out of the oven, Lily frosted it and Ms. Evans stuck 19 candles in it. James was fascinated by how Lily got along without magic so well. It would be terribly hard for him to live without magic after seventeen years, but she seemed to be doing just fine.  
  
"Lily, go persuade your sister to come have her cake." Ms. Evans said. Lily groaned, gave James an exasperated look, and proceeded upstairs to fulfill her duty.  
  
"Petunia, the cake's ready. Come down and have some." Lily said at the closed door to Petunia's room.  
  
"I won't! Not until you are gone for good! You ruin everything."  
  
"So what if I do!? Maybe you ruin everything for me? Remember when I could have gotten new robes, but instead mum and dad got you a dress for prom? Remember that time I broke my arm and we had to wait for a two days to go to the hospital because you had wrecked the car?! Remember when that one boyfriend of yours came over and ripped all my dolls heads off as a joke!?"  
  
"You've done worse Lily! You wrecked my birthday and my date and ruined my hair and messed up my life!"  
  
"It wasn't all my fault!"  
  
Petunia opened the door and stuck her head out. Comically, it was the half of her head with short hair that was visible, giving one the impression that she had had a run in with a lawnmower and lost.  
  
"You're right. It's all of you freaks. Especially that boy!" she said vehemently.  
  
"LEAVE JAMES OUT OF THIS!" Lily screamed.  
  
"Leave me out of your screwed up life!" Petunia said indignantly. "Just because you can't cope the way normal people can-"  
  
"Shut up before I curse you." Lily said quietly. Her green eyes were dangerous. "Come my birthday, I will make your life hell Petunia." She glared at her sister, who didn't even flinch.  
  
"You try. Go ahead and make me suffer. But when you need me most, when that loser boy leaves you pregnant and penniless, don't come crying to me and my happy husband. You'll regret ever being nasty to me. Believe me." And she slammed the door.  
  
"WELL WHEN YOUR HUSBAND FINALLY REALIZES THAT YOU ARE A HORRIBLE, STUCK UP, SNOB, DON'T COME TO ME!!!"  
  
And she kicked the door as hard as she could, leaving a large dent in the polished wood. Then she stomped over to her room, slamming the door behind her and fuming about the latest insults.  
  
"Oh dear, they're fighting again." Ms. Evans sighed. James stared at her incredulously.  
  
"You mean this is normal?" he asked. The lady nodded sadly, wincing at the sound of the door being kicked in.  
  
"They can't go a week without this kind of shouting match.summer holidays are the worst, especially with Lily here all day, with out any friends nearby to go out with."  
  
Mr. Evans growled. "Those two are ridiculous. And with company here too."  
  
"Usually Lily doesn't get very upset, I think you must have had something to do with that dear." Ms. Evans told James. His stomach dropped out and he apologized again for the whole mess, but the Evans's just waved it aside.  
  
"You're a nice boy, Lily needs someone like you."  
  
James couldn't help but smile. Then he remembered something.  
  
"Ah, Mister and Misses Evans, I needed to talk to you about something."  
  
"What is it dear?" Ms. Evans asked. She sipped her cup of tea casually, smiling at him indulgently.  
  
"It's about Lily, ah, how do I say this.err." he began. James Potter had stuttered more this evening that he had in months at school. He rubbed his messy hair nervously.  
  
"Spit it out boy," Mr. Evans encouraged.  
  
"Well.I'm going to ask Lily to marry me." He said finally. When he noticed the looks on their faces, he added hurriedly, "That is, if she wants to. I mean, I know we're still in school but bad things are happening and if something happens I want to be with her properly .I'll wait till we've graduated anyway." He trailed off.  
  
"That's wonderful dear!" Ms. Evans exclaimed. She looked like she was about to cry.  
  
"Then you approve?" he asked eagerly.  
  
Mr. Evans nodded, smiling, then frowned. "Yes, but.what bad things?" he asked. James paled.  
  
"Well, he-who-must-not-be-named is getting more powerful, and he's taking a lot of people to his side, and those who won't, he kills. Surely Lily told you?"  
  
"No.." All eyes turned to Lily, who walked in sullenly, eyes red.  
  
"She won't come down. And I don't care either. I hope she rots up in her room."  
  
"Lily!" Ms. Evans said. "That isn't very nice."  
  
"Well Petunia isn't nice! If she were, I wouldn't say things like that! You always take her side, don't you!?" Lily was very upset, and looked like she might burst into tears.  
  
James felt like picking her up and carrying her off to kiss all her worries away, but he had the feeling that her parents might not approve of that. She walked over to the table and sat down tiredly.  
  
"You don't have to put up with her for long Lily, so be nice while she's still here. Come summer her and Vernon will be getting married and living together in his house."  
  
Lily muttered something like "good riddance", but no one heard but James. He gave her a small smile.  
  
"I guess dinner is over?" he asked. Lily nodded.  
  
"I'll walk you to the door."  
  
"I'm sorry James, you can't have enjoyed yourself. I wish I could make it up to you." Lily wrapped her arms around him and took a deep, calming breath.  
  
"No! It was.err.fun. Yeah."  
  
Lily glared.  
  
"Ok so it wasn't fun, but I got to meet your family. And just think, a week from now you'll be at my house meeting my parents. But we'll have a lot more alone time." He winked, and she grinned. Her green eyes were happier than they were all evening.  
  
"We can have alone time right now." She suggested. James kissed her forehead.  
  
"Not with your parents in the living room we can't. That would creep me out."  
  
"McGonagall didn't creep you out that one time in the cupboard."  
  
"That was different. McGonagall isn't someone I try to impress."  
  
"You try to impress my parents?" Lily asked, surprised. James smiled but didn't answer, hugging her close instead.  
  
"James Potter, I love you." She whispered.  
  
"I love me too, err. I mean, I love you Lily Evans." He said, laughing as she swatted him.  
  
They kissed passionately for a moment, and then James stepped away With a loud crack, he disapparated and was gone.  
  
Author: Please leave me a review and tell me what you thought, thanks. ^^ 


	4. Shopping Spree

            Chapter Four: Shopping Spree

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter etc. All likeness of characters/events to real people/events is completely coincidental. I mean it to, complete coincidence.  

Author: this has been written for a while, but ff.net was down. (I was soooo bored without it!) Anyway, the next chapter will be up tomorrow! ^_^ Thank you so much for the nice comments, they are very encouraging! Oh, and about them only have been dating for not so long, well, J.K. Rowling gave approximate years, and they get married the year after graduating, and have Harry the next year. (Oh no! I'm spoiling the plot!) There's this great site called "The Harry Potter Lexicon" with detailed timelines of each character and all. And about the international statute of secrecy, I figured that since Mr. Weasley (book four) used magic and floo powder and ton tongue toffees in front of the Dursleys, it must be ok if they already know anyway. (Although I did wonder if it has to do with him working at the ministry…)  Here's the story, anyways. ^_^

Dear James,

            What should I wear to your house, robes or muggle clothes? How am I supposed to get there? Whatever you do don't come get me on a broom. I'd curse your ears off. I'm looking forward to going; Petunia's driving me crazy. I met her fiancé and I have to say I like him about as much as she likes you. Fair trade? Ha.  She went to the hairdresser and got her hair fixed, it's really short and blond, to her chin. I think it makes her look like a tall, thin, blond flamingo.  She said some really mean things about you, but I wouldn't hear it. I put some of that Zonko's no rinse everlasting hair dye in her brand new gel and tomorrow she'll wake up with green hair. I'll have to remember to thank Sirius for giving it to me. (He's staying with you isn't he? I can thank him on Christmas then.) 

            Anyway, my parents just love you. (I knew that they would) And so do I. I miss you tons, so write as soon as my owl gets to you! 

            All my Love,

            Lily

*****

            Lily fixed her robe in the mirror one last time and headed over the pile of dirty clothes on the floor to exit her bedroom. She was meeting Saraline in an hour in London, and her father was driving her. Sara was sneaking out of Hogwarts by Floo Powder, with the aid of the remaining marauder at Hogwarts, Remus Lupin. 

            Sara was Lily's best friend, a pretty girl from an all wizarding family. She had the curliest blond hair you ever did see, and it frizzed up crazily, despite the numerous magical gels and sprays she put into it. Usually it ended up in a very large and messy bun, and very adorable. She had a round face and baby blue eyes, and glasses that made her look much older than she really was. An interesting person to say the least, and incredibly smart. Book smart, anyway. Ravenclaws were known for that slight factor…

            Lily's other friends were mostly James's friends, Remus, Peter, and Sirius, but she liked to hang out with Frank and Alice, a couple doomed to be married the day school ended. It was kind of sweet, but after a while sickening. Lily almost wished she hadn't encouraged the shy, uncertain Alice to go out with him. Alice had long dark hair and eyes, and a very young round face. Unlike Saraline, she didn't have any glasses to make her appear older, so one usually got the impression that she was a few years younger than she really was.

  Frank was quiet, smart, noble, everything the perfect Gryffindor should be, but he didn't flaunt it. Besides Lily, he was the only other Gryffindor in the top five students. (The other three were Ravenclaws, Saraline Stokes, Fallon Potosi and Marcela Luckenwald)  Lily admired Frank and shared a crush on him with Alice until the sixth year, when James Potter became noticeably the only boy in her life (good bad or otherwise) 

The sight of Diagon Ally always cheered Lily up. Crowded with bustling witches and wizards, it reminded her of all the fond memories she had there, and anywhere that there was lots of magic. Even a week with Petunia couldn't stop her from smiling, especially when she spotted a blond head bobbing through the crowd.

"Sara!" she called, and her friend turned, her round face lighting up, she dragged someone along with her through the crowd and threw her arms around Lily.

"Oh it's been like a whole week! How was I to survive without you?" Sara said dramatically. "I read three books, and studied for Newts, and played about a hundred games of exploding snap with Fallon. I think he likes me." 

Sara wrinkled her nose. Fallon, while incredibly smart, was not much fun to hang out with, and Sara didn't like him much. (Mostly because he got better marks than her in arithmancy.) 

"But Remus was fun, we studied for how many hours?" she looked over at the person she had dragged over, questioning.

"At least three hours a day," Remus provided. He looked like he was trying hard not to laugh. "I heard about the fiasco." He said, finally grinning. "James sounded upset." 

Lily groaned. Of course James would tell Remus all about dinner at her house, and of course it would sound like a giant jumbled mess. Sara looked from one to the other questioningly.

"What fiasco? Lily, did you do something?! That boy is going to get you expelled! I mean, he is Head boy and he still does things—"

She looked guiltily over at Remus, who had assisted her in sneaking out of the castle, a prefect like her.  "Ah well who cares about school!" she said hurriedly, "We're almost finished anyway."

Remus laughed and nodded. He was the sanest of all the marauders, including dear old James, and Lily admired his strength of will. Not much could dissuade James and Sirius and Peter from doing some of the things they wanted to, but Remus could. 

"I'm starved." Lily said, shivering in the chilly Christmas air. Sara chattered endlessly about the things they had studied, how much, and what if something was on the test that she didn't memorize, even if she knew it very well? Lily listened appreciatively and Remus followed them, looking bored, down the cheerful street full of shops. It was decorated for the holidays, bits of holly grasped in the beaks of dove statues on the light poles, bells bewitched to play popular songs, and even the real birds were cheerful in red and green colored feathers.

They went into a cozy restaurant, sitting in a booth. (Remus and Sara sat together, much to Lily's amusement.) 

"I also heard that you and Sirius hit it off pretty well on the train." Remus said. Sara laughed.

            "Yeah Lily, what's with that, he's your boyfriend's best friend!" Lily rolled her eyes.

            "James was the one who set it up. Honestly, I don't know what he was thinking." Sara raised an eyebrow and smiled. 

            "I wouldn't mind kissing Sirius Black." she said. 

            "You have a boyfriend!" Lily said. But Sara just shrugged. 

            "I can still dream! Besides, he's…well…Lee Portage." As if this said everything there was to say about Lee, Sara sighed. 

            "I told you not to date a Slytherin," Lily said. It wasn't that Lee was a bad guy, but he did tend to stick to Saraline only when his friends weren't around. Remus was silent. 

            "I think you should ask Sirius out if you want to." Lily suggested. "You know who he asked James to set him up with?" Sara's face lit up at the juicy gossip.

            "Who?" she asked eagerly.

            "Natasha Wood." Sara laughed. Natasha was the hottest girl at Hogwarts and she knew it. Every guy had had a crush on her at one time or another, but she always dumped them after a few weeks. Even Frank had gone through an "I love Natasha" phase, but luckily for everyone, it didn't last long. 

            "Who do you like Remus?" Lily asked. She didn't want to leave him out of the conversation, and he looked startled that she asked. 

            "What?" Then he thought for a moment. "I like lots of girls, but I don't want to have a so-called relationship." Lily nodded. It was the typical Remus answer.

            "Who are all these girls?" she asked. Remus smiled secretively and didn't answer, but he scooted over to Sara and put his arm on her shoulder. Sara's bright blue eyes bulged behind her glasses.

            "Remus!" she squeaked. Lily laughed. 

            "Why don't you two date?" 

            Sara looked startled. "We did Lily, in the second year, for two weeks. Remus was my very first kiss!" 

            "And Sara was mine." Remus added. "Why did we break up?" he asked.

            "Because Lily was mad at James and you were friends with James, and I was loyal to my best friend. _And_ we were only twelve." 

            "I do remember that!" Lily said, finally realizing. James had been her partner in Defense Against the Dark Arts and burnt the paper they had written for the project, making them both receive a Zero. It was Lily's very first failing grade ever and she never really forgave James for it. Of course, she was the one he was trying to impress with the whole fire breathing kit from Zonko's.  (Not that Lily was even impressed by it.) 

            They ordered lunch and Lily filled them in on her family dinner, finishing her last bite of hamburger with a sad smile.

            "I don't know what to do about Petunia anyway. I won't forgive her for saying such awful things about James. He didn't even do anything!" 

            Remus looked surprised and frowned.

            "Well, he was the reason behind all of it, I mean, if you hadn't invited him it would just be Petunia sad about her fiancé being sick, without all that extra stuff."

            "It was not his fault." Lily said hotly. Sara considered this.

            "Then it was your fault?" she asked. Lily fumed.  

            "Things just happen! It wasn't my fault either." The look in Remus's dark gray eyes said otherwise, and Lily sighed. 

            "I'm not getting her a Christmas present." Lily muttered.

            Lily, Sara, and Remus walked casually through the shops, looking at interesting things and looking for presents for their friends. Lily found the perfect book for Sirius called "Jokes for the Joking" full of interesting and simple hexes and charms just good enough to get on someone's nerves. Sara picked up a bag of violet quills for her mother ("She was running low, and violet is her favorite color" Sara said) and an assortment of candy for her younger siblings. (All girls and very sweet—Anastasia, Katherine, and Samantha)

            Remus didn't buy anything, saying he had special surprises for everyone for Christmas. Lily couldn't possibly buy anything for Sara and him while they were right there, so she begged them to help her find something for James. 

            "He'll love anything you give him." Remus said, and Lily sighed, knowing it was the full truth. 

            "How about this?" Sara asked, holding up a pair of violent pink self-warming socks. "Quidditch players always complain about the cold weather." But Lily didn't think it was perfect enough, although the image of James wearing pink socks around the common room brought a smile to her lips. 

            They searched and searched for the perfect gift for James, but by the end of the day Lily had gifts for everyone but him. (Her mother would get a large package of Spell-o-tape, her dad a screwdriver that screwed in the screws on its own, and even, very reluctantly and on Remus and Sara's urging, some hair growing potions for ultra shine and curl for Petunia.)

            Finally Lily decided to get him the pink socks; maybe he would like them after all. Shopping bags full of goodies, Lily bid Remus and Sara goodbye, see you in a few weeks, stay out of trouble etc. and headed out to meet her father.  

            It was much colder out on the streets of London, and Lily shivered and pulled her cloak closer around her to make her robes less conspicuous. Fortunately everyone seemed too preoccupied with the Christmas bustle to really notice her at all, for which she was relieved. 

            Lily spotted her father's car and climbed in happily. The heater was on, warming her chilly hands. 

            "Lily, how was shopping?" her father asked. Lily smiled, 

            "Great dad. How was Petunia?" 

            "Well, alright I guess…but her hair was green. Do you know anything about that?" he asked. 

            "Green? Did it suit her?" she asked. Mr. Evans gave his daughter a warning look and smiled just barely at the corners of his mouth. Lily amended. "Now dad, would I do something like that?  I'm not the sort to take revenge!" 

Author: Thank you all for the nice comments please tell me what you thought of this chapter! ^_^


	5. Sniffy and Snuffy

Chapter Five: Snuffy and Sniffy

Author's note: Apology in advance, I didn't really want to write this chapter because I am much more interested in the Evans family than the Potter family. I'm hoping to show some Lily/James stuff, but I don't know how well it goes here. Sorry.

            As soon as lily got home she noticed that there was a letter for her from James. She sat at the table and ripped it open excitedly, ignoring Petunia's half hearted wailing from upstairs.

My dearest, most cool and perfect Lily,

Go on and wear robes, there won't be any muggles where I live anyway, Bring an overnight bag of course and your most revealing PJs…you know what I like! Sirius is reading this and laughing. He's just jealous, because I have the hottest coolest girlfriend ever and he doesn't have one at all. Now he's laughing and saying some things about me and him that I can't repeat. Shut up Padfoot. 

          Anyway, I'll pick you up on Christmas Eve at noon, in a car. Isn't that normal for muggles? I never bothered to take muggle studies, sorry. And what's wrong with brooms? They are only the best things in the universe. I know you want to ride one with me…hint, hint. Anyway. I love you and miss you and can't wait to see you again. 

          Lots of Love and Kisses, 

          James

            Lily laughed. She had never looked forward to Christmas more than this. 

            The days at home dragged by longer than they ever had. Even summers seemed like a flash compared to waiting to leave. But like always, waiting ended, and she found herself packing for her stay at the Potters.  Petunia had ignored her mostly, which was fine with Lily, but she did feel a bit bad, and she was nervous about meeting James's parents. What if they hated her? What if they didn't like muggles?  She would just have to find out.

            There was a knock at the door and Lily rushed over, opening it widely. Sirius Black and James stood there grinning goofily, fully robed and out on the doorstep for all to see. 

            "Come in," Lily said, hugging Sirius and Kissing James. Mr. and Mrs. Evans walked into the foyer to see their daughter off. 

            "Mum, Dad, you know James, this is our friend Sirius." Sirius bowed his handsome head to Lily's mother and shook Mr. Evans's hand. "Oh and thanks for that awesome hair dye Sirius! It was a life saver!" Lily said louder than necessary, and smiled at the answering yell of loathing from the kitchen. Sirius smiled sweetly.

            "Any time, Lily." He said. 

            Lily kissed her parents goodbye and headed out the door, arm in arm with James. 

            "James, where's the car?" Lily asked nervously as they headed to the end of her driveway. There wasn't one in the street that she didn't recognize. 

            "Oh, I forgot that my dad needed it. Ministry business I guess."

            "James!" Lily said. No way. Impossible, and yet… There he was, pulling a pair of broomsticks out from behind the tree in her yard. 

            "No. I refuse to get on one of those things. They are dangerous and horrible, and I have seen the way you fly! Besides, there are so many muggles around here you'd get shot down by one of my neighbors and get in trouble with the ministry!"

            "Relax Lily, we're taking the bus."

            "Oh no. Not that bus." 

            But James had already stuck out his wand, grinning at her apologetically, and with a loud bang, a giant purple triple-decker appeared before them.

            "Ohhhhh" Lily groaned, and Sirius grabbed her arm firmly and pulled her onto the Knight Bus.

            Lily got off the bus, face green, leaning on James's shoulder.

            "If I barf I'm aiming for you James." She said. The boys were both fine, swinging their broomsticks happily over their shoulders and helping Lily to recover from the violent ride. 

            "I could carry you piggy back," James said, and Lily stood up straighter and turned pink. 

            "I do have some dignity Potter." She shot. 

            "You didn't back there on the bus. Green isn't a very dignified color for someone's face you know." Sirius said in his smooth, cool voice. Lily shot him a glare, motion sickness forgotten, and told him quite rudely to shut up.

            "We're here." James said. They had been walking for about a minute, and stopped in front of a large white house, several times bigger than Lily's. It was very pretty and fresh looking, well kept and well loved.

            Sirius opened the door and just barged into the house, calling that they were home and setting his broom and Lily's bag in the hall. 

            "Come on in." James took Lily's hand and led her into the warm hallway of the house and into a messy and inviting looking kitchen where Sirius and someone, presumably James's mother, were sitting at a large wooden table drinking hot chocolate.

            "Lily, this is my mum. Mum this is the one true love of my life." 

            "Lily," Lily provided, shaking the woman's hand. She was very pretty and looked a lot like James, disturbingly familiar features and dark hair. (Combed though, unlike her son's) 

            "So nice to meet you." Mrs. Potter said. She reminded Lily of her own mother, until she turned to James.

            "James! Be a gentleman and ask her to sit down. What do you think you're doing, leaving the young lady to stand there? So inconsiderate."  James made a face as she turned around, muttering something, but asked Lily if she would like to sit down, and offered her some hot chocolate. 

            "If he is ever rude to you, just tell me. I thought I taught you better than that James. Honestly sometimes you don't seem anything like the son I raised." 

            "Aww mum you're embarrassing me." He said. Sirius snorted, but James ignored him. "You know that I would never be rude to such a lovely girl, and if I did, she's perfectly capable of punishing me herself you know." 

            Lily was silent through this conversation, sipping her hot chocolate highly amused at James's lack of tact when talking to his mother. But the next sentence had her coughing up hot chocolate all over the table.

            "...Besides, you know that Lily only came over here so that we can more private making out time, without teachers all over the place stalking us like hawks. You'd think they want their students to become adults—"

            "JAMES!" Mrs. Potter screeched, already hurrying to wipe up the spilled drink, "That is very inappropriate. I will not hear you talk like that! Go on, get off to your room!" James looked surprised.

            "Mum, you know if I go up there Lily and I are only going to do things you don't approve of and—"

            Sirius was laughing hard and not hiding it at all. Lily's face was bright red. "How can he say those things to his mother??" Lily asked Sirius. 

            "Oh, this is mild. Once he went into detail about some book he read where the characters were doing…things. Then he asked her what she thought about people acting out that sort of thing, as if it were a play. She went ballistic." 

            "You drive me crazy!!" Mrs. Potter said. James was grinning, and then he walked over and gave her a kiss. 

            "Love you too mum. Off to make out with my lover. See you at dinner. C'mon Lily, Sirius. You gotta see my room." 

            Lily followed him out of the kitchen and up flight of stairs, noticing the numerous Christmas decorations on the walls and wreaths on every door. It was very cheerful. James led them to a door with a big wreath with lots of flowers, more flowery than any of the others. 

            "My room." He said, welcoming Lily. She was impressed. James was always the slob, but his room was…spotless. "Cleaned up just for you!" he said cheerfully. It looked like a typical boy room, Quidditch posters and broomstick magazines, schoolbooks in a dusty but organized corner of his desk. The bed was against one wall by the window, and a bookcase held trophies and awards. The walls were off white and the bedcover scarlet with a Gryffindor lion on it. 

            "Wow!" Lily said. James stuck out his chest proudly. 

            "His mum cleaned it." Sirius said. He was sitting on the bed. "My room too. She was going crazy all week getting ready for you."

            "For me??" she asked. She hadn't done all that for James…

            "Yeah. She likes you, so she yelled at James. It was the same the first time she met me. But she'll warm up." 

            "Dunno why she's got to yell at me for." James muttered. "Seeing as you're the one she's all worked up about."

            "Motherly love," Sirius suggested. "Come see my room." 

            Sirius's room reflected his low profile style. It had similar furnishings to James's, but was so different. It reminded Lily of her and Petunia. While James was simple, Sirius was anything but. On the walls were several pictures of them at Hogwarts, the marauders, Sirius and James, one of Lily and James together, one of everyone doing homework. Lily looked amused at that one, her picture self was scribbling away intently while everyone else looked over her shoulder, copying. Whenever her picture self looked up they all pretended to be researching. The bed had a Gryffindor lion on it also, and on the pillow…

            "Aaaaughh!" Sirius leapt across the room and tackled something, shoving it under the bed. James, seeing this, smiled and tackled his friend, wrestling something out of his grip. Lily, unused to seeing this display of roughhousing, was amazed. James eventually won, pinning Sirius to the floor and proudly tossing something to Lily. 

            It was a stuffed dog, black and incredibly worn out. One button eye was missing, and the pink tongue had holes in it. 

            "That's Snuffy." James said. His hair was more tousled than ever. "Sirius's stuffed animal." 

            "Oh! That is so adorable!" Lily got down on the floor and attempted to hug Sirius, but seeing as James still held his arms behind his back, it was kind of difficult. "You are so cute Sirius!" she said. 

            "James, get off me! And it isn't cute. I got it when I was little. James has one too."

            "Yeah, but I don't leave it out when I know my friends are coming over. And mine is named Sniffy." He let Sirius up, who dusted himself off and grabbed Snuffy from Lily. 

            "Don't tell anyone, aright?" Sirius muttered. Lily nodded and turned to James.

            "I wanna see Sniffy." She demanded. James shook his head, smiling. 

            "I think not my dear. You'd never survive the horror of James Potter and his stuffed animal. He's staying hidden this time. Maybe when we're married." He said. Lily rolled her eyes. 

            They all went outside, and James gave Lily a tour of the grounds. It was very nice, much bigger than Lily's own suburban home. She supposed that James's family was well off. And having only one kid sure made a difference too, although they were having Sirius stay with them now. 

            "James, I never knew you were so rich." Lily commented finally, smiling. James laughed.

            "We aren't rich at all. Now, Sirius here, he's got a fortune in his family."

            "Useless though," Sirius muttered. "My family is crazy."

            "All families are," Lily said, but Sirius just shook his head. 

            "Me and Snuffy just couldn't take it anymore. Had to leave. Lucky for me James is richer than he thinks he is, so I had someplace to go." 

            "That bad?" Lily asked. She couldn't imagine just up and leaving her own home, no matter how bad Petunia was. Her parents loved her and that was what counted. Besides, home was home. She remembered meeting Sirius's brother once, and she was reminded of her own sibling predicament. He was a creep. 

            "Our family will be perfect though Lily." James said. He pulled Lily close and winked at Sirius, who disappeared at once. The air was cold, but bearable. The pond was frozen over and very pretty. 

            "Who said we're going to have a family?" Lily demanded, but James just smiled and kissed her. 

            Christmas Eve at the Potter's was very nice indeed. Lily felt like a part of the family             and couldn't blame Sirius for loving to stay there. Mrs. Potter did warm up quite a bit to Lily, but still screamed and nagged at James continually. James humored her for the most part, but he obviously exasperated her to the last straw many times, and was threatened with curses that Lily had never heard of before.  "They're actually really close." Sirius told Lily at one point of more aggressive threats. "And she never actually punishes him. In fact, I never saw a parent let a kid get away with _more_." 

            Mr. Potter was a very kindly man, short and thin with very gray hair, but a broad smile that was easily James's own. He was very welcoming, and made sure that Lily felt comfortable. 

            They were all sitting around the living room, Lily and James very snuggly on the loveseat, Sirius in and armchair and Mr. And Mrs. Potter on the couch.  A fire burned in the fireplace and the Christmas tree was lit magnificently. James was so happy at that moment; nothing could get his spirits down. Lily was there with him, Sirius, his parents. They were all safe and somewhat happy, and right with him. 

            "This is the best Christmas." He said softly to Lily. She nodded in agreement, leaning her head on his shoulder, eyes half shut. With a yawn and a mutter, she was asleep. 

            "Party pooper." Sirius said. "I was hoping to see some major Potter/Evans screaming fest." 

            James carried Lily up and tucked her into his bed. He would be in Sirius's room tonight, so that Lily could have the privacy of a wall between her and two seventeen year old boys. She looked so cute in his bed, James was absolutely certain that he wanted her to be there for the rest of his life. No matter what. 

            "In a few years you'll be Lily Potter." He whispered, kissing her cheek and leaving, closing the door behind him. 

            Sirius was waiting up for him in his room, unpacking the sleeping bag on the floor for James. He smiled when he looked up, noticing that James had a dreamy expression on his face. 

            "You didn't take advantage of her being asleep did you?" he asked indignantly. James shook his head. 

            "Never Padfoot. And I got Sniffy too." The stuffed animal in James's hands looked, if possible, more worn out than Snuffy. Its ear was torn on one side where James had once attempted to pierce its ear, and one paw was chewed off by…something. Stuffing leaked out of it. 

            "You love her more than you love Sniffy?" Sirius asked. James nodded. 

            "I know that our first year at Hogwarts I told you there was nothing I loved more than Sniffy, but I think I've found someone. Poor Sniffy." 

            "Oh, he'll live." Sirius said, there was something that was bothering him though, and James knew it didn't have anything to do with their stuffed animals. 

            "You miss your family on Christmas?" he asked.

            Sirius stiffened. "No. Not really. I've been disowned. I don't have a family." 

            "Even Lily loves her sister, although I have to say I would find that feat rather hard." 

            "But her sister isn't a death eater." Sirius mumbled. James was the only one who knew this bit of information, and he knew how it tormented Sirius. Fifteen-year-old Regulus Black had joined the rampage of evil wizards, even though he was still just a kid. That was what had driven Sirius to leave home last summer. He felt guilty, as if he should have a kind of control over his younger brother and stop him, protect him, love him. James, sibling-less, could identify with neither Sirius nor Lily in this matter. Family was family and friends were friends. Love everybody and be happy. 

            Somehow, as he lay in the sleeping bag on the floor, he didn't feel quite as optimistic and certain of his future as he did back downstairs. After all, if Regulus Black, the little boy he had seen moping about the Black family's living room years ago could be a death eater…anyone could, right?

Author: Questions? Comments?


	6. A Christmas Crisis

Chapter Six:  A Christmas Crisis 

Author's note: this was supposed to be all angst filled and sad, with Lily/James romance in it too. I'm getting off track and it's driving me insane! So here comes Mr. Plot again, say hello to him and I'll try not to kill him off. Thank you for the reviews, also! Very encouraging! ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything related to it. I made up a few characters to add spice, but they aren't making me any money either.

Christmas Morning, Lily Evans woke up tired. It was cold out and she didn't particularly want to get out of the warm bed, so she shut her eyes tighter and rolled over, not bothering to find out what had actually woken her up in the first place. 

            "Lily." A voice called. Petunia? Ginger? Dad? 

            "What…leameelone." She said. Surely it wasn't time to get up yet, the room was still dark. She heard muttering, then again, 

            "Lily! It's Christmas! We have presents!" Christmas? Lily sat up, suddenly excited, and screamed. 

            James and Sirius were standing over her in their pajamas. James wore red striped flannel and Sirius matching blue striped flannel, neither was wearing a shirt. Both were very handsome, with a tousled just-got-up look. James didn't have his glasses and looked incredibly young, even Sirius looked younger, normally impeccably cool hair in complete disarray. 

            "G'morning." She tried to hug James, but was pulled unceremoniously out of the room and down the stairs instead. 

            "Presents first! Mum won't let us open them until everyone's down there. Of course she's taking her time getting dressed." 

            Sirius shrugged. He knew Mrs. Potter was taking her little bit of revenge on her impatient son by forcing him to wait. It was kind of amusing. 

            The living room was lit dimly in the early morning, the Christmas tree overflowing with packages. Lily sat down on the floor cross-legged with James and Sirius, and was reminded of when she and Petunia used to sit and wait for their parents, examining presents and guessing who got what. Times long ago, she thought wistfully. Petunia wouldn't be caught dead speculating anything with her sister, even on Christmas.

            The second Mr. and Mrs. Potter appeared at the top of the stairs, James dived into the pile of presents and began unwrapping the first one he could find with his name on, tossing presents at the other two periodically. 

            "Wow, thanks Lily!" James had discovered her present, the shocking pink socks, and was putting them on happily. Lily laughed as he wiggled his toes. "They'll be perfect for Quidditch!" 

            Lily made her way through her own pile, smiling every second. She got a book called "Studying for Newts—the easy way" from Saraline, a collection of poison antidotes from Peter (home made from the look of them), a very good, warm, pair of gloves from Remus, and some more interesting prank tools from Sirius. Even her roommates Ginger and Morgan had given her some useful notebooks and some nice magical shampoos for ultra shine. 

            Lily opened a large package from her parents, and was pleasantly surprised to find a new set of dress robes, dark green and very finely made. They must be making up for not getting her any last year when she wanted them. 

            Finally all that was left was a letter from Petunia and a something that James was impatiently hounding her to open.

            Lily:

            This is not a gift to you, it is to Mother and Father. The only thing they wanted was for you to be invited to my wedding. So you are. Not by my choice, mind you, but because as mother said, you are my sister after all. Just promise you won't bring that boy. I couldn't stand for everyone to see you as one of _them_. 

            Petunia

            Not bring James? One of them? Who were they?? Lily ripped the letter in half and threw the pieces across the room. Who ever said that Lily wanted to go to Petunia's stupid wedding?! That Vernon guy was so thick and stupid; she couldn't stand to think of watching him with Petunia for an entire wedding ceremony. 

            "Alright James!" Lily said finally acknowledging her boyfriend's persistent nagging at her to open his gift. He had obviously already opened all his, besides violent pink socks, he was wearing a new scarf, a shirt that said "Quidditch Captain" on it in large bold letters, and had numerous empty candy wrappers in with his other stuff.

            She took the small box and opened it. She gasped. 

            It was a beautiful necklace, silver and sparkling, with a small diamond shaped stag pendant. 

            "Oh…." She fastened it around her neck and moved her nightgown down a bit to see it shine from her chest.  "Thank you James! Hey—" she shoved him away so that he didn't have such a view of her chest, and smiled.  "Its gorgeous. How did you get it?" 

            "Bought the stone and shaped it, darn hard it was too, seeing as that charm to make diamonds soft was a pain, not the mention actually making it look like a stag." 

            "I thought it was a deer." She said, examining the pendant again. 

            "Stags are male deer, Lily." Sirius called. He didn't look as happy as he should on Christmas, maybe because his pile of gifts was smaller than the others, or maybe because he was reading something and was quite absorbed. 

            "Oh." She watched James look at his friend sadly. "Do you like your book?" she asked. He nodded, but didn't look up. 

            "C'mon Lily, lets go." James took her hand and led her to the kitchen. He gave his parents a disgusted glare as they fed each other chocolate frogs. 

            "Outside?" She asked.

            "Yeah. It's not that cold." 

            "Yes it is!" but they stepped out onto the frosty back porch anyway, Lily warming her hands in her new gloves. 

            "I got some stuff to tell you." James said. "It isn't all happy either. I had to ask everybody, and they finally agreed, but that's part of the reason Sirius is put out. You're going to know some stuff that could put me and my friends in serious situations."

            "What?" Lily knew that James, Remus, Sirius and Peter did things that weren't exactly morally correct, but would playful James ever really do anything that would make him so solemn?

            "Well, it started with Remus. I asked him and he said I could tell you, so here goes. He's a werewolf." 

            Lily was silent, but her heart sank. Remus was the sanest of the marauders…the smartest, the nicest, the least troublesome…he was a prefect. She went over all the times she had ever talked to him. He was her friend, someone she cared for and trusted, she was even hoping that Saraline, her best friend would hook up with him…

            "Don't let that change the way you see him, please Lily. He's still the same guy." Lily nodded, but tears swelled in her eyes. That was why he was always sick, why he didn't have many friends, why so many people hated him, why he was always a bit bitter at the world… "Poor Remus." She whispered. "He doesn't deserve something like that." James nodded in agreement, but he wasn't finished.

            "Because of that, Sirius and I made a decision, and you may not like what you're going to hear. It is illegal and I could go to jail for it. I didn't think it would be such a big deal at the time…but now…" He trailed off, shook his head, and continued. "Sirius, Peter and I are illegal animagi."  Lily gasped. 

            "What...?" Then her hand went to the pendant on her chest, and she whispered. "Prongs…" the miniature diamond stag poked her palm with its antlers. She put it all together.

            "Well…I'm impressed. That's very difficult magic." 

            "I know," James grinned. "Peter almost got himself blown up multiple times." 

            "Is that all the news?" she asked. James shook his head. 

            "My dad is in the ministry. Lately, they've made a new department for defense, consisting of a lot of people allied with Dumbledore to defeat Voldemort. He's an auror, or a dark wizard catcher. As soon as I graduate I'm joining up with them, in an organization led by Dumbledore called The Order of the Phoenix." 

            "I…I don't know what to say…" 

            "You don't have to say anything. I know some others who are doing the same as me. Longbottom, for example. He'll be a valuable asset. And of course Remus and Sirius and Peter. Some of us…have already lost people to them. To the death eaters." Lily knew there was a danger, and that Voldemort wanted to "cleanse" the world of people like her, muggle born witches and wizards, but she had no idea that it was such a threat already. Sure there had been a few deaths and disappearances, but no one she knew personally or had ever met. James was silent for a second, and then grinned at her cheerfully. 

            "Don't worry about it though, okay Lily? I'll protect you."  

            Lily didn't look remotely like not worrying, until suddenly a magnificent stag appeared next to her where James had been. 

            "Oh!!" she exclaimed, but the stag didn't flinch or run away. It nuzzled her softly, breathing warm breath onto her neck, and then suddenly it was James again, holding her tightly. 

            "I'll always be here." He said. And Lily knew that he would.

            Later that day there was a Christmas turkey, and everyone ate and ate until they were completely stuffed. It was, in Lily's opinion, better than the school food, and she told Mrs. Potter so. The lady blushed and smiled proudly until James asked her if she had had too much wine, when she glared at him angrily. 

            Finally it was time to go home, and Lily hugged everyone goodbye. Somehow the idea of Petunia seemed a bit more bearable with the little diamond stag around her neck, and she didn't dread it quite as much as usual. Besides, soon she would be back at Hogwarts studying for the Newts with Saraline and her friends; too busy to think about all the disturbing things she had heard about today.  Mr. Potter drove her home, and James and Sirius amused her by telling embarrassing stories about each other, Mr. Potter putting in his bit every now and then. 

            They were almost like brothers, Lily thought wistfully. What was it that had made Petunia and her fight so often? She always assumed it was because she was a witch and her parents favored her, but really, the first of the Big Fights wasn't until Lily was in the third year and Petunia's boyfriend Roald came over and ripped her doll's heads off. From there things went downhill. Petunia began to yell at Lily, and Christmas after Christmas holiday her birthday was forgotten between Lily's homecoming and all her achievements. Lily assumed that this was because Petunia was a snobbish brat, (which she was) but could Lily have been nicer to her? No. She thought stubbornly at first, then…yes. Maybe. It didn't justify her sister's behavior in the least, but maybe it explained it. They used to be sisters, best friends like Sirius and James. And now? Petunia was forced into inviting her to her own wedding, and Lily wasn't even going to go. 

            Lily didn't tell her parents about Voldemort. She didn't think they needed to know to survive. She didn't want them to worry their heads off about something that they couldn't stop or help. She didn't think that it would matter in the least if they understood why she was anxious and worried.  She decided then and there however, that she was going to do something about it. After graduation she would join Dumbledore in his fight against evil. Actually, from far away it seemed courageous and adventurous. That was what Gryffindor was all about wasn't it? It was every kids dream to grow up and be a superhero anyways.  The happenings of he next few weeks changed her mind, however. 


	7. Life's Quirky Challenges

            Chapter Seven: Life's Quirky Challenges

Author: sorry bout the delay, I've been really busy. The next chapter is written, and I'll put it up as quick as I can, probably Sunday or Monday. Thank you all soooo much for the reviews! I feel so warm and fuzzy when I get them! ^_^

Lily Evans stared numbly at the page of the Daily Prophet that she was reading. It wasn't possible…never would she have thought…

            "Lily!" James pale face appeared for a moment, then a blur.

**Mass Muggle Murder**

Homes have been destroyed, lives lost, and families torn apart. On the spot Ministry Employees have confirmed the appearance of two giants on the scene, who apparently were there on the orders of he-who-must-not-be-named. What they were looking for is as of now unknown. They tore up multiple buildings and twelve muggles were killed, several more injured. A squad of trained wizards appeared in time to kill the giants, undoubtedly saving many more lives. Ministry officials have released the list of names. No wizards, fortunately, were killed, although several officials came out with bumps and bruises…

            Lily was at a loss for words. "Its not them Lily, I just checked…" James's voice faded in and out like a kind of far away echo. She didn't look anywhere in particular, just anywhere but at the people in the great hall. 

            "Some of our friends…." James came back into focus. "Ginger, your roommate…" 

            "My Parents? Petunia?" she asked hoarsely. 

            "They're fine. It wasn't anywhere near there, thank goodness…" he hugged Lily, who cried in relief. "Oh, I couldn't bear it if they…Petunia's getting married this summer…the danger…" 

            James held her up, stroking her dark hair. He knew people who were affected directly, but as long as Lily was all right, it was ok. 

            Lily went to class in a daze of relief and unbelievable fear. What if it had been her parents? What if it had been Petunia? And after fighting with her about the wedding too. She hated her sister, but definitely didn't wish her dead. One of the girls in her dormitory, Ginger Geoff had both her parents and two younger muggle siblings killed. That was the worst of it. A boy in Ravenclaw third year lost an aunt, and a Hufflepuff first year lost a third cousin, but everyone with muggle families were extremely worried. 

            Ginger went home to her grandparents to get her affairs in order before returning to Hogwarts to finish her education and take Newts.  Lily, as Head girl, was to help keep her up with her schoolwork. She and Ginger had never been close, but after seven years of sharing a dormitory, you got to know a person pretty well. Lily went with her to the door of the Great Hall, helping her to carry her belongings for her trip home.

            "It could have been any of us." She told Ginger with a hug. Ginger didn't say a word, but hugged Lily back tightly for a moment, then turned and followed McGonagall out to the carriage that waited to take her back to the train station. 

            _Dear Mum, Dad, and Petunia,_

_            Bad stuff has been happening lately, and I am writing to tell you to be very careful. Do not tell anyone that you even know about the magical world, and do not talk to anyone who you think is a suspicious character, even if they say that they know me. _

_            I should have told you before, but it isn't too late. Not all wizards are good. In fact, some are just plain evil. One such wizard, called Voldemort or he-who-must-not-be-named, is becoming very powerful. His followers enjoy killing non-magic people, especially blonds. (Just kidding Petunia) _

_            Please promise me that you will be careful. The safest place for me is Hogwarts, and the safest place for you is right where you are. After this letter, I will not use owls to communicate. It is much too conspicuous, and may make you targets. I love you and miss you and James sends his greetings as well._

_All my Love, _

_Lily_

            "Lily, it'll be ok." She and James were studying in the library, and Lily was still not concentrating like she should on her homework. "Besides, Remus sure doesn't look worried." 

            Lily glanced over at where Remus was sitting with a girl, bending over a book and nodding enthusiastically. She couldn't see who it was… Then he sat up and smiled, and a blond head appeared. 

            "Sara!" Lily said. Saraline Stokes, Lily's best friend was laughing at something with Remus. James shushed her. 

            "Didn't you know they were dating?" he asked. Lily's jaw dropped, fear of her family dying momentarily forgotten. 

            "Sara never told me, and neither did Remus!" She moved to stand up, but James pulled her back down.

            "Oh leave them, they're happy." 

            "At least some people are." She muttered. James sighed.

            "I miss happy Lily." He said. 

            "Happy Lily is on vacation. She'll come back when Newts are over, Voldemort is gone, and Petunia turns into the nice, sweet, person that my parents are telling me she is." Lily knew that she sounded bitter and mean, but it was all true. How could she be happy with Newts looming over her, not to mention all that other stuff? She was sending homework to Ginger every day on top of Head Girl duties. It was all too much. 

            "I'm sorry James, I must be annoying." She said. 

            "You're never annoying. I told you that a long time ago, and do you remember what you said?"

            "No," 

            "You said that you didn't care what I thought, because I was a great, stuck up, idiot."

            "I did? I don't remember that." 

            "Yes. Third year, I cried myself to sleep for three days."

            "Really?"

            "No, but don't ask Sirius because he'll deny it." 

            Lily laughed. James was the only one who could make her smile at a time like this, and he prided himself in it. Her smile was so attractive…

            James glanced over at Remus to make sure he was still absorbed with his little girlfriend, and then leaned over the books spread out on the table and kissed Lily softly on the lips. 

            "Not here James," Lily began, but it was too late, she was swept away, just like she always was. She remembered the first time she ever kissed James, on a dare in the sixth year, before she was "enlightened to his charms" she liked to say. It was a lot more timid and sweet, but still so much James. He didn't hold back and was very passionate, something that Lily cherished. She had had a few boyfriends before him, but they were never serious. She was always preoccupied thinking of him, even if it was thoughts of ways to curse him into leaving her alone.

            "AHEM." Madam Pince the Librarian interrupted them. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but the Library is a place of learning, not snogging." 

            James was ready for this however.

            "I'm learning how to kiss Lily," he said. "And she's learning how to make me—"

            "James!" Lily exclaimed, pushing him away and gathering up her books.  "I'm sorry Madam Pince, I got distracted, it won't happen again."

            Madam Pince was busy looking over at another certain couple however, who seemed to have gotten into a forceful face attachment charm. 

            "Honestly!" she said, bustling over to reprimand the pair. Lily and James took that opportunity to escape, hurrying out of the Library and chuckling at the idea of Madam Pince's expression when she found that it was two of her favorite students, Saraline and Remus, making out.

            Time flew by, and Lily's seventeenth birthday came and went. Her parents sent her a package for the first time since they had received her letter telling them not to, and even Petunia signed her name at the bottom of the card. Ginger returned from visiting her family, not the same cheerful girl she had been, but she was speaking and laughing at last. Remus and Sara dated secretly (or not so secretly, since everyone knew), and Lily and James remained the perfect couple. 

            One morning, Lily was sitting at breakfast in the great hall and Sara came over to the Gryffindor table in tears. Lily made room for her on the bench and took Sara's hand. 

            "Lily," Sara said. Her baby blue eyes were teary, and she removed her glasses to wipe them, making her look young. Alice and Frank watched her nervously from across the table.

            "Sara, what happened?" Lily demanded. Sara shook her head.  "Is it Remus?" 

            "How do you know about that?" Sara asked, and then waved it aside, nodding tearfully. "Yes, he's told me—" She stopped looking over at Alice and Frank, and then began to cry again. 

            "See you guys," Lily told them, ushering Saraline out of the Great Hall, thinking sadly of her half eaten breakfast. 

            "Sara, tell me what he said." Lily demanded. Sara shook her head though, horror stricken. 

            "I can't. That's just it. I can't tell you, and I can't stand this. What am I supposed to do?" she sniffled, turning away from Lily. "I can't tell anyone."

            "Why don't you talk about it to Remus?" Lily asked. She half wanted to vehemently ask why Sara had kept the relationship a secret from her, and half wanted to comfort her friend. 

            "Remus doesn't want to talk about it. You know how he is…He just left me to sort it all out…only I can't." She looked angry, and threw her transfiguration notebook onto the floor. 

            "Is it about his secret illness?" Lily asked finally. 

            "You- you know?" Sara asked. Anger seemed to have dried her tears for the moment, and surprise was quickly taking over.

            "Yeah. James told me, it was very personal. I couldn't tell you, and I wasn't supposed to know about you and him anyway…"

            "Oh Lily, tell me what it means. Can we still be together? Can I still date him? Can I ever tell my parents this?" 

            "Calm down, first thing," Lily said gently. "And think about it. Do you love him?"

            "Yes. I don't know if I should, but I do. Oh Lily!" 

            "Calm down. Think, why did he tell you?"

            Sara, back in a subject she could relate to, relaxed a bit. "Obviously he knows I would never betray his secret, and that I won't mind."

            "And to protect you." Said a voice from behind. James was there, quiet and serious. "He loves you, and he's giving you a last chance to get out of it. But he also does trust you." 

            "You know too?" Sara asked weakly. James nodded.

            "Sirius convinced him to tell you and I agree that it was the right thing to do. If he is going to get involved with you this intimately, you have a right to know." Sara blushed.  James continued, ignoring her discomfort. "But he was afraid…of this."

            "Of what?" Sara asked. Her eyes were teary again. 

            "That you wouldn't love him anymore." Lily told her softly. 

            "But I do. Oh Lily, I thought you would be so mad if you knew, but I love him so much…" Her gaze drifted over to Remus, who had just come down the marble staircase and was watching the scene with a sad, bitter expression on his face. Sara saw him and rushed over. He flinched at first, and then was stunned when she hugged him, crying into his robes. 

            James took Lily's hand and led her away.

            "Privacy, Lily. I don't want to see them make up. It'll be slobbery. Moony always drools in his sleep, so he probably slobbers when he kisses."

            "James! That's gross, don't say things like that! Besides, drooling in your sleep had nothing to do with it." Lily said. "Because I saw you drooling once anyway."

            "Only because I had a nerve killing potion after I was pushed off my broom during Quidditch practice!" 

            "Pushed? You mean fell." James went to correct her, but Lily just laughed and followed him back to breakfast happily. Of all the things that had happened to Remus, falling for Saraline Stokes had to be the best. And Saraline? Lily's smile widened. No guy could keep the exact balance of studiousness and interesting quirkiness that Remus had and Sara needed. 

Author: Thanks and see you! 


	8. Brothers to Be

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Happy? (I'm not, but whatever) 

Disclaimer #2: All likenesses of people, events and ideas to real people, events, and ideas is completely, 100% coincidental. 

Author's note: well, sorry about the delay, I have been unbelievably busy lately. Yesterday was my littlest bro's birthday (he's 13 now!) and we all went to a RR Express baseball game. I pretended it was Quidditch though, and that made it even better. No hot guys there though…sigh. Here's the next chapter, thank you all for the reviews! I really appreciate them a lot! ^_^

Chapter Eight: Brothers to Be

            Newts were a week away, and all the seventh years were hectic in preparation. It was impossible to talk to any of them for fear of setting them on a rampage of curses to make you leave them alone and in peace to die. 

            Lily was one of those seventh years. She needed top scores to go up against Voldemort and be an auror with James. It seemed like they would never ever be over with. 

            Then, suddenly, they were. Lily stumbled out of the Charms exam, slightly in shock at how well she had done and the fact that it was the end of the exams. They were over? James kept telling her that, but somehow it seemed like she needed to go back and check something in case it was on the Potions Newt, or finish studying that chart for astronomy…

            She and James were walking down the corridor, on their way to the great hall, and James was being unusually quiet. At the top of the marble stairs, he stopped suddenly and just stood there. Lily turned around to see what held him up, and noticed a nervous blush on his face. Since when did James Potter blush about anything?! 

            "Lily, I know things have been crazy lately. What with the bad things happening, and exams and graduating…"

            "So? Are you alright James?" Lily was getting annoyed with him just standing at the top of the stairs. Soon everyone would be coming down, and they would get caught in the crowd. 

            "So there's something I want to ask you, that would make things better, at least, I think so, anyway, it's all up to you really…"

            "What's wrong James?" Students were beginning to come down the stairs, and Lily was hungry. There was a rumble of chatter as hundreds of students came out of the great hall from lunch and a hundred more came down the steps from classes and exams.

             James took a deep breath, dropped down on one knee, and pulled something out of his robes, grinning boyishly.  Several students stopped to see what James Potter was doing in the middle of the stairs, and several more realized what was going on and squealed excitedly.

            "Lily Evans, will you marry me?"  There was a hushed silence as everyone looked to Lily, some kids craning to see up the stairs about the hold up. Lily gaped in disbelief at the glittering gold ring James was holding out to her. 

            "What's going on?" a first year boy asked loudly. A fifth year kicked him. 

            "That boy just asked that girl to _marry_ him!" The fifth year, a girl, said dreamily. 

            Marry? James Potter? Lily thought for a moment, and then she thought no more. 

            "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, Oh James!" She threw her arms around him and let him put the ring on her finger. Then they kissed.

            Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Saraline Stokes could be seen standing near the front of the crowd surrounding the couple. 

            "That Bastard!" Sirius said muttered fondly, and began clapping for his best friend. Remus, Peter and Saraline followed suit, and soon everyone was clapping and one teacher (McGonagall) looked misty eyed. 

            "Here are Dark Times." Dumbledore began his closing speech at the end of term feast. "And not everyone is safe. It is times like this that we must celebrate, more than ever, the gift of love." He looked pointedly at the couples in the room, including Lily and James, Alice and Frank, and Saraline and Sirius, but not excluding Bellatrix and Rodolphus or Lucius and Narcissa. "Students I remind you not to use magic over the holidays, and I look forward to seeing you again. Congratulations to Gryffindor for winning both the house cup and the Quidditch cup this year,"  ("Boy, I wonder how that happened?" Sirius wondered aloud at James and Lily. "Maybe because both head boy and girl are in Gryffindor?") "Enjoy your feast!" 

            Lily did enjoy the feast, her last one at Hogwarts. She was all packed away, leaving her home of seven years, her friends and teachers who she had come to know and love. She almost didn't want to leave, really, but one look at James's smiling face and the glittering ring on her finger made her think again. Soon she would have a new home, a new family, and a new life all her own. That wouldn't be possible if she stayed at Hogwarts. Alice, her closest friend in Gryffindor, would no longer be a bed away. Saraline would no longer be able to sneak into the Gryffindor common room, James and Sirius wouldn't be at breakfast with her every morning, joking and laughing. 

            Summer at the Evans house was usually just a boring lull in Lily's life, waiting for term to start again in a state of bored and uncaring studiousness. But this summer was different. Hogwarts was not going to be there in September, and within a month, Petunia would be wed to Vernon Dursley. Her parents were hectic with preparing for the wedding, and thrilled at the news that their second daughter was to be wed within a year. Petunia was so preoccupied that she didn't even bother Lily when she spent all day in the kitchen making potions.

            The potions were part of her auror training, everyday she and James, along with many Hogwarts graduates who were their friends made ready to be accepted into the ranks of the Elite Dark Wizard Catchers. Unfortunately, the number of Aurors available to train the newcomers was pathetically small, and much of the work that Lily and her friends did was self taught. 

            Lily didn't mind however, and soon it was common for witches and wizards to be coming in and out of the Evan's household, studying and keeping company with Lily. Her parents welcomed the flow of bright young people, and usually Mrs. Evans would make brownies or something for the guests. One such day, Lily, James, and Alice were sitting around the living room drinking tea, when there was a knock at the door and Petunia came running down the stairs to answer it.  Before she did, however, she stuck her head into the living room and addressed her sister.

            "Vernon is here, and he doesn't know about you and your friends, so don't tell him and don't be suspicious."

            "Ashamed of me are you?" Lily asked, bitter.

            "You might say that." Petunia answered coldly. She left them and opened the door; a bout of squealing could be heard. 

            "Oh Vernon! I missed you my sweetie darling." 

            "Ugh." Lily said, rolling her eyes. "I can't believe her." 

            "Who is this Vernon person Lily?" Alice asked curiously. It wasn't often that Lily talked about her sister, and any information was usually reluctantly given. Today was no different.

            "Her fiancé." Lily sneered. "Great ugly fat loser, he is." 

            "Lily, that's not very nice." Alice scolded kindly. "You could at least give him a chance, muggle or no." 

            James snickered. "We all know how Lily feels about muggles, Alice, seeing as she was one for a number of years." Alice rolled her eyes and sipped her tea, elegantly ignoring him.  

            "Really, Lily. He can't be that bad. Petunia loves him after all."  But just then, a large man entered the living room, squinty eyes glaring at them suspiciously. Petunia's thin head poked from behind him, daring the others to do anything, and Alice suddenly looked quite startled and a bit frightened. Her dark eyes were wide, and her round face was pale. She had never seen a person so…menacingly annoyed.

            "That's just my sister, Vernon. And her friends, ignore them." Vernon nodded gruffly, strolling past importantly. James, tossing a grin at Lily, stood and stuck out a hand to shake.

            "I'm James Potter, soon to be your brother in law." He smiled charmingly, and Vernon squinted. James was wearing his robes, and looked mighty strange to someone like Vernon. 

            "Vernon Dursley." The big man said, shaking slowly but firmly. 

            "Fine family of women, this one." James said, winking over Vernon's shoulder at Petunia and nodding towards Lily. Lily tried not to laugh. Alice looked fascinated. 

            Petunia, furious, stomped past them dragging Vernon along by the hand. James watched innocently, then turned and was greeted by laughter. 

            "I told you!!" Lily howled, "Hahaha, you shook him up good James!" 

            "Lily! James! I can't believe you. We need to be on good terms with muggles." But her face said otherwise, and she finally grinned.

            "I didn't do any magic, it was just a bit of fun." James sat down next to Lily and put an arm on her.  "Right Lily?" 

            "Sure." Alice nodded. "And when he hates you, it's going to be your own fault." 

            "So its my fault that my own sister hates me?" Lily asked. Alice softened. 

            "Lily, you could be nicer."

            "Oh! I could, could I? How am I supposed to do that?" Lily snapped. Her face was red, and Alice looked shocked at the outburst. James recognized the danger immediately.

            "Lily, Alice was just saying—"  

            "I don't care. Just," she sighed and pushed James away. "I'm sorry Alice." 

            "Its alright Lily." 

            James took her back into his arms. "Alice was just saying that you need to put out more of an effort than she does, and be nicer than she is. Right Alice?"

            "Yes." Alice smiled. "I know it's hard for you, but you're a strong girl."

            "I dunno about that." Lily muttered, but they heard.

            "James Potter only takes the best." Alice said.

            "Well, second best. Frank got you first Alice, so—"

            "James!" Lily tackled him and they fell off the couch, laughing. Petunia appeared angrily at the doorway.

            "Keep it down in there!" Then she noticed Lily and James on the floor. "And get a room with a door!" 

            "Sorry," Lily giggled. Suddenly she realized that it was Petunia's loss that she would never know her. She was sad for a second, but then James distracted her and hoisted her into his lap, ignoring Alice's disproving glare.

            Three weeks until the wedding. Two weeks. Then one week. Lily was struggling with herself and her feelings for her sister to no end. Loyal to her blood sister who she had known for all of seventeen years, or the man she loved and would spend the rest of her life with? It seemed like going would be to shame James, but to not go, shame herself and her parents. Petunia was in a flutter and a daze, preparing for the wedding, nervously pacing the house and yelling at Lily constantly. 

            "You better not wreck anything Lily!" Petunia screamed one day, watching as Lily ladled some poisonous lurkweed into her potion on the stove. 

            "Sure Petunia, want to test my destruction draught for me? You'll implode a lot quicker than if you keep yelling like that." 

            Petunia swept out of the kitchen, muttering something about what color flowers she wanted. Lily took a deep breath and continued on her draught. She would have to tell someone about this predicament. Saraline? No, she would insist that Lily go. James? He would too. Remus? Nope, same old same old there. Alice? Lily actually cringed at the thought of what Alice would say if she found out that Lily was thinking about not going to her own sister's wedding. Sirius? Now there's an idea, Lily thought. Sirius was having troubles with his own sibling if the vibes James gave her were correct. Regulus Black…Lily left and immediately wrote a note to Sirius.

            Sirius

            Come to my house as soon as you can. I have to talk to you

Lily

            She sent her owl off, smiling. It was as if a great weight was lifted off her shoulders. Sirius would know what to do. He always did didn't he? He was the one person who would understand. Lily actually scolded herself for a moment for not thinking of him before, but was quickly distracted by the screams echoing from downstairs. Her draught!

            The kitchen was a mess, potion ingredients were spilled everywhere. The cauldron in which the destruction draught was simmering had boiled over the top in Lily's negligence, creating, as the name suggested, destruction. Petunia and her mother were up against one wall, trying not to let the sizzling potion touch their feet. 

            "_Scourgio_!" Lily said quickly, cleaning up the mess, and swishing her wand to make the liquid disappear for good. Mrs. Evans breathed a sigh of relief, but Petunia let out a wail. 

            "My shoes!" Petunia moaned, pointing at her feet. The white heels that she had been wearing ("trying them on for the wedding!") were now brown and smoking, with holes where the potion had burned them. 

            "Now Petunia," Mrs. Evans began. "We can get you a new pair of heels…" 

            "NO! Mother, the shoes aren't the point!" Her face was red, and she looked about to cry. "The Point is that SHE RUINS EVERYTHING!" Petunia pointed a long finger at her sister, burst into sobs and left. 

            "I'M ONLY TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD YOU KNOW!" Lily yelled after her. Mrs. Evans looked quite shocked, and was at a loss for words. Her kitchen floor was very burnt, and the stove was quite a mess. Lily turned to her mother and started crying.

            "Mother, I didn't mean it, I'm sorry!" Mrs. Evans hugged her daughter and patted her on the back. 

            "Now Little Lily, I know you didn't mean it. Go apologize to you sister."

            "Apologize to her!? What did I do?" Lily exclaimed. 

            "You did ruin her shoes dear…" 

            "Mother! Here I am, trying to learn all I can to stop Voldemort from killing everyone, and do you know what distracted me from my potion? DO YOU?!" It wasn't like Lily to scream at her mother, and Mrs. Evans was quite startled and hurt. 

            "Lily, dear, calm down."

            "SHE DID! I was so worked up over her and her STUPID wedding that I forgot about my potion!!" 

            Mrs. Evans was silent. Her daughter had never been so upset about something before. Usually it was Petunia who burst into sobs and screamed at her family, not Lily. Lily was always calm and collected, egging her sister on and fuming in silence. 

            "Lily, calm down and talk to me when you are thinking clearly." Mrs. Evans left the room, left Lily standing on the charred floor in tears, staring at her mother in disbelief.

            "I hate all of you." Lily said. And she disapparated. 

Author: Questions? Comments? Next chapter will be up tomorrow…^^ Thanks!


	9. The Worst and Best

**Chapter Nine: The worst and best**

Disclaimer: I don't own it…any of it…

Author's note: Thanks again for the nice reviews! And the next chapter will be up tomorrow. ^_^

Lily appeared at the front door to James's house, surprised at herself for coming there, but then again, it was Sirius that she wanted to talk to. She knocked on the door. 

            "Lily," Sirius said, opening the door, eyes wide. She was quite a sight, hair frizzled and green eyes red with tears. "James is in the kitchen." He said immediately, but Lily grabbed his arm. 

            "No, I need to talk to you," she said. She was crying again, and Sirius was very uncomfortable. This was James's sort of thing, not his. Why didn't she want to talk to James? Had they had a row? But Lily was already talking, shakily explaining.

            "It's about my family, and James doesn't understand, I don't know what to do!" She grabbed the front of his robes hysterically. "I don't want him to feel bad about this. It's my fault, not his. Sirius, I know that you have family problems too,"

            Sirius stiffened. He pulled Lily off of him and ushered her inside. James was sitting at the kitchen table and jumped to his feet at the sight of her.

            "Lily what happened?" He demanded, taking her from Sirius and holding her. Sirius was very relieved to have handed over that duty, and told James what she had said.

            "Its silly." Lily said shakily. She shook her head; red hair even messier than it had been minutes ago. 

            "No," James said. "It wasn't silly. I figured this was coming." Lily stared at him. 

            "You knew?" she asked. James nodded. 

            "Well you and Petunia didn't exactly get along huh?" he had a point. "And you were right in thinking to talk to Sirius. So go ahead. I'll be quiet." 

            Sirius, thinking that he was done with the whole thing, blanked out. Lily looked much calmer now that James was comforting her, but he still didn't want to say anything that might make her burst into tears again…

            "Explain about your brother." James prompted, and Sirius cleared his throat. 

            "Err…alright then. My brother Regulus." He looked very uncomfortable. Talking about it with James was one thing, but Lily? She'd probably flip out. "He and I don't get along." 

            "Yes," James said impatiently. "But tell her why. She wont flip, she didn't when she found out about Remus."  James looked incredibly happy about this, but Sirius wasn't so reassured.

            "Regulus…err…my family…" he began. James tapped his foot. "Err, they aren't the nicest people…" James was tapping his hand on the table. "I ran away you know…"

Now James was clearing his throat… "And well…my brother, my fault…" James sighed dramatically. 

            "Come on Padfoot, just say it." James said. Sirius glared. 

            "You're making me nervous James!" he said finally. Lily giggled at them. Sirius never got nervous. Ever. 

            "Would you like me to explain it for you, or leave?" James asked. 

            "Either is fine with me." Sirius said coolly. James nodded. 

            "See ya!" he said, and left the kitchen. Lily watched him go, shocked, then smiled. She knew what he was doing. He wanted Sirius to talk about it, and he wanted Lily to listen. Somehow, if he was there, Sirius might use James as a cushion and not deal with it. Sirius also looked shocked, but smiled after a moment. 

            "Better!" he called to James, and then to Lily, "My family is an old wizarding family that hates muggles." Lily knew this. She had talked to Bellatrix Black and heard the taunts of Lucius Malfoy. "And my parents aren't Death Eaters. But they support you-know-who. My brother Regulus…" Lily nodded encouragingly and watched Sirius take a shaky breath. "He joined the ranks of the Death Eaters." 

            Lily's stomach clenched. But…Regulus was just a kid! Fifteen years old at the most.  "Sirius, I didn't know. I'm sorry." She said quietly. "Suddenly…my problem seems silly." She almost sniffled, but managed to stop herself. 

            "Lily, It isn't silly." Sirius said. "Do you know how guilty I feel, every day? Every time I see my brother's face in my head? His little two-year-old smile, before he got these crazy ideas? I could have done something, I could have saved him!" 

            "You still can, right?" Lily asked timidly. She had no idea…no idea that Sirius felt this strongly about anything. He was always very cool and unafraid. 

            "He's dead."  Lily's eyes widened. Sirius was very quiet, unnaturally so. She didn't say anything at all for a long time. "He was killed by a fellow supporter. Supposedly he was ordered to kill me, and wouldn't do it."  Lily was silent still. "Imagine that. He died because of me. And what did I ever do to him but hate him? Lily, I've been around your family a few times, and James has told me. If something ever happens to Petunia, like it did to my brother…you'll never forgive yourself. Believe me." He had a haunted look in his dark eyes. Lily stared at him, half afraid that he would start crying. 

            "Oh Sirius…" Lily said finally. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she pulled her friend into a hug. "That's so sad…" Sirius looked away, trying to smile.

            "Oh c'mon Lily, I was the one comforting you a minute ago…no big deal…I'm aright." But deep down, he was glad he had friends like Lily and James. Hopefully they would be with him for a long, long time.  "Tell me what happened to make you come all the way here to talk to me." He said.

            Lily wiped her eyes and sat back. "We had another fight, and I yelled at my mum. I _never_ yell at my mum." 

            "Oh?" Sirius asked. 

            "I was making a destruction draught, you know, practicing, and I was so worked up about her wedding I got all distracted." 

            "Big mess?"

            "Oh ya." Lily said miserably. "The kitchen floor is all charred, and the stove irreparable." 

            Sirius nodded. It was perfectly understandable to wreck the kitchen every now and then. James had done it at least once a week since Sirius had come to stay. 

            "Why were you worked up about the wedding?" he asked. 

            "I don't know if I should go. She invited me because my parents forced her to, but she said that she wouldn't allow James to come." 

            "Oh…" Sirius realized Lily's dilemma. The girl would never do something like that to James, to hurt his feelings by telling him he wasn't wanted. 

            "I won't go. If James doesn't go, I don't go. You know what I mean right? I couldn't talk to anyone else, because I know they'll tell me to go anyway, please Sirius tell me I shouldn't go." 

            Sirius was silent, thinking deeply. 

            "If Petunia died the day after the wedding, would you wish you had gone, to see her happy one last time? If your parents died a week later, would you be able to go to their funeral and not feel guilty?" 

            Lily sniffled. "So, you think I should go to, even though I hate her to no end?" 

            "She is still your sister Lily, as Regulus was my brother. You are too kind a girl to have to live with this kind of guilt that I feel." 

            Lily collapsed into tears, and James came back into the room. 

            "Thank you Sirius, you said it better than I ever could. And Lily," James put his head to hers, "I won't go to the wedding, I'm not upset." 

            "But I am!" Lily wailed. 

            "But I'm not. And isn't that what you're worried about anyway? That I would feel bad? Cause I don't. And it isn't your fault either. I was the one who got the snitch in her hair and all." Lily smiled weakly. 

            "Alright. You win. Thank you Sirius," she got up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. To her amusement, he blushed. 

            "Where's mine?" James demanded. "I helped comfort too!" 

            Lily kissed him on the lips, thoroughly cheered up. 

            Lily walked into the church and took a seat in a very back pew. She didn't want to be recognized, so was wearing a plain pink muggle dress, and had her wand stowed carefully in her handbag. Her dark hair was plaited under a hat, and a she wore James's glasses to hide her eyes. (She peered over them like an old lady too, as James was near blind and looking through them made her dizzy) The other guests didn't even take a notice of her, although her mother gave a startled gasp when they bumped each other. Lily gave her the "don't tell" signal, and her mother complied with a knowing smile.

The church was small and quaint, a white building with a tall steeple. It was decorated according to her sister's taste, overly cheerful and flowery. Lily muttered to herself about having to come here at all, but settled down when the music started and the procession of people in frilly dresses filed down the aisle. 

Lily watched curiously. It wasn't the first time she had been to a wedding. Plenty of family friends had gotten married, and she had even been to one wizarding wedding, the Longbottom's. (She had been a bridesmaid.) There wasn't anything particularly interesting about this one, and she sighed boredly as Vernon Dursley strolled up the aisle, proud and nervous. He was huge as ever, and clothed in a dashing tuxedo. 

Then, finally, came the bride. All heads turned to look as Petunia walked in, led by Mr. Evans. Petunia, Lily had to admit, looked beautiful. Her short blonde hair was framed in white beads and a long veil, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkling. She was happy. Lily was startled for a moment, and then suddenly she realized why Sirius and James wanted her to come. Petunia was happy. 

Never before had Lily seen her sister look this way, and probably she never would again. Petunia simply shone with bliss, she took each step purposefully and elegantly, and deserved every ray of sparkle that encompassed her. 

Petunia was at the front of the church now, and Mr. Evans handed her over to her new husband, as was traditional, and the priest began to speak. Lily didn't hear much of what he said, it was all the same as at every other wedding, but she couldn't take her eyes off her sister. It was as if someone had spelled Petunia into being someone else, someone entirely different. The couple kissed, and amidst loud cheering, exited the church to go to the reception. 

At the reception, Lily didn't dance or sing or eat much of anything. She just watched her sister, mostly, quietly, thinking. She knew most of the guests, but they didn't come talk to her, either because she seemed so unsocial or because they didn't recognize her. At one point, when Petunia was talking to her parents and about her family, Lily overheard and starting crying a little. 

"All right there dear?" a woman asked. Lily nodded and smiled, pointing over at Petunia. 

"Yes, thank you. Just sad to see her all grown up." The woman nodded sympathetically, poured herself a drink, and moved on. 

Lily tried to avoid the camera at all costs, but Mrs. Evans insisted that she stand in for one picture. Petunia was so swept up that she didn't even notice the person her mother was hugging in the picture next to her, and chattered continually about how happy she was.

In the end, Lily slipped out the door before the crowd would leave. It was late at night and she wanted to get home. One last glance at her sister, her worst and best friend, and she was gone.

Author: Questions? Comments? See you tomorrow! Thanks!


	10. Casual tea

Chapter ten: Casual-tea 

Author: Personally, I think this chapter sucks and I may have to rewrite it. (Although I already did rewrite it. Sigh.) Just to let you know, you might want to grab the tissues now, and please don't flame me at the end. (A flame, for those of you who don't know, is an angry hate review.) ^_^

Petunia was over for tea, again. She had been married and moved out to live with Vernon for over a month, but every few days she insisted on coming home to have tea and visit her mother. Mrs. Evans was overjoyed, but Lily was not so happy about this arrangement. It meant she had to see more of her sister, and hear about her boring life with her boring husband. She also missed her friends. James hadn't been around lately, he said he was helping Sirius move into his own apartment, and Frank and Alice were on their honeymoon.

 So, when James apparated suddenly into the kitchen, she was actually a little happy. Until she saw his face, that is. He was pale and scared looking, hazel eyes strained, and his hand clutched his wand until his knuckles were white. 

"James what happened?" Lily asked, sprinting across the kitchen to him. 

"Lily," he said, surprised looking. "Lily, its Sara, they got her."

"Who got her?" Lily asked quickly. Her heart was pounding in her chest with worry for her friend.

"I've just been to see Remus…he's a wreck. Lily, this is going to be hard for you…" James turned and began pacing the kitchen. 

"Who got her James?" Lily asked loudly. He paused in his pacing.

"The dementors of Azkaban. They guard it, it's the wizard's prison." 

"They…attacked her? Is she ok?" Lily's green eyes searched him, pleading. 

"No…she's at St.Mungo's…" he said quietly. "The dementors did the kiss…it sucked her soul out through her mouth… Lily, I'm so sorry." 

Mrs. Evans gave a frightened squeak, but Lily collapsed into a heap on the floor.

"No…no, not Saraline. You-you don't know…We can get her soul back…right?"

James shook his head sadly. Petunia was shaking in fear, face white. 

"I'm going to St.Mungo's." Lily said quickly. 

"Lily…it isn't pretty…I know she was your best friend…" 

With a loud crack, Lily disapparated. 

She had been to St.Mungo's before, but on a much less urgent trip. She had been accompanying Alice to get some antidotes that they needed for auror training. The pair had curiously peered down the white hallways and winked at a cute male healer. The bright white sanitary of the walls suddenly seemed less friendly and much more foreboding today. She headed to the reception desk where a young witch in lime green robes was talking into what looked like a small clamshell.

"Excuse me, I need to see Saraline Stokes, where's her room."  The witch looked down at her paperwork, annoyed at being interrupted with her shell, and stated blandly, 

"First floor, room thirty-seven." Lily didn't thank her, but hurried over to the elevator. James caught up to her before she stepped inside, however.

"Lily," he said worriedly. "Are you going to be alright?"   
            

"No," she snapped, pulling away and stepping onto the elevator. James sidled inside, quickly evading the doors as they shut behind him. "Sara is my best friend. I can't believe you don't want me to see her. How can you be so calm at a time like this?" Lily was slightly hysteric at this point. She stepped out as soon as the doors opened again, James following her. 

"Lily, its not that. You've never seen someone in this sort of state, its not…" He wasn't deterred, even when he stopped her from going down the wrong hallway, steering her in the right direction by her elbow. "I thought you had the right to know, but I wouldn't even let Remus see…"

They had arrived at room thirty-seven. A few people stood outside the door crying, and Lily recognized them to be Mr. and Mrs. Stokes and their other children. Mrs. Stokes was crying heavily on her husband's shoulder, who was white faced and looked like he didn't know what to do. Her other siblings didn't seem to understand what was happening. 

"Mum, she'll be ok right? Mum?" one girl asked. She was about ten years old.  

When they saw Lily and James, Mrs. Stokes made and effort to stop sobbing. 

"You must be Sara's friends." She sniffled. "Remus is in there right now." Her blue eyes, so like her daughter's, were bloodshot. Lily nodded and put her hand on the doorknob. James looked to stop her, but then sighed and leaned up against the wall. 

"Would you go take the girls up to have tea?" Mrs. Stokes said to him as Lily entered the room. 

The lights were darkened, and she faintly saw Remus sitting on a chair with his head in his hands. He was crying like something she hadn't seen since he failed potions in the second year.  He didn't look up as Lily approached, and she was almost glad. When she saw her friend she couldn't help but stuff her fist in her mouth not to scream. 

Saraline's bright blue eyes were blank and staring, her cheerful smile a grimace of pain. Her skin was gray and withered looking too, giving the impression of old age come very quickly. 

"Oh…oh my god." Lily felt her eyes fill with tears. Remus looked up finally, "They kill her in an hour. She's as good as dead now though." 

"Oh Remus! Oh…" Her best friend since her first year at Hogwarts, whom she had come to know and love, was this…corpse of a person. Lily sunk into a chair next to Remus and He reached over gripping her hand tightly. She gave a small sob when she felt him. His hand was cold and shaking traumatically.

But the eyes…Lily couldn't take her gaze from the fixed staring eyes on the thing that was no longer Sara. In her mind, she knew they were supposed to be bright and lively, baby blue behind intelligent glasses, but these were scary, creepy, dead looking. 

"Remus…" Lily said quietly. "I can't believe it. It isn't possible."

"It's my fault." He whispered. "It's all my fault." Lily stood up and left the room. She couldn't stand to be near the soulless body of someone so full of life and love. She remembered that Remus and Sara were very close friends, (maybe more than friends) and the thought of James in that bed, with his smirk faded and hazel eyes staring deadly…A fresh wave of tears hit as she closed the heavy hospital door. Mr. and Mrs. Stokes were gone, along with James and Sara's sisters. 

"Why is everyone so sad?" a little voice asked. "They said that Sara is ok." Lily looked down and noticed a small girl looking up at her. She forced a smile.

"Are you Saraline's little sister? Samantha, right?" The little girl wrinkled her nose and shook her head, blond curls trembling.

"Yes, but I like it better when you call me Sammie." She said. 

"Alright Sammie." Sammie was a very cute girl, about four or five years old. She looked, unlike her other two sisters Anastasia and Katherine, exactly like Saraline. She wore a bright pink dress with happy yellow flowers on it.

"Everyone is sad." She pondered, watching Lily cry some more. "But Sara is ok. I think if Sara dies then Remus" (she pronounced this carefully and with great difficulty "Rhee-mus") won't be my brother at all. And I don't want that. I like Remus." (Rhee-mus).  Then she brightened. "Maybe then, Remus can marry me!" Lily actually laughed a little. Sammie was so bright and innocent. It was no wonder no one had told her that Sara was, in fact, worse than dead. 

"Remus is nice." She said matter-of-factly. "He told Saraline to stop picking on me. And guess what?"

"What?" Lily played along.

"She did! She does whatever he says, even if Mummy and Daddy tell her and she doesn't want to." 

"How old are you Sammie?" Lily asked.

"Six." She said proudly. 

"Oh, wow. And you're going to Hogwarts when you're bigger?" 

"Yes I am. Our house elf Twiddle says I'll be a better witch than anybody else." She glowed with delight at this statement. 

Lily smiled. 

"Can I go in and see Sara?" she asked, trying to stand on tiptoe to see inside the window at the top of the door. 

"No," Lily said quickly. "She isn't feeling well enough for visitors."

"But Remus" (Rhee-mus) "has been in there for a long time." 

"Why don't you come with me, we can get some tea and see your mum and dad." Sammie reluctantly agreed, taking Lily's hand as if it was the most natural thing, and leading the way up to the tearoom. 

In the tearoom, Mrs. Stokes took her youngest daughter into a great hug and proceeded to tell her that Sara would never be coming home again. Katherine, the ten year old, was crying in one corner all alone, while Anastasia sat dazed and tearful on the couch with James. Lily sat next to him.

"I don't care." Anastasia said to him suddenly. "So please, stop talking. It doesn't matter. I'll hate you all until the end of time. You should have saved her. Remus should have saved her." She glared over at Lily accusingly. "Where were you?" she asked.

"I didn't know about it until today…James told me…"

"Some friend you are." 

Lily gasped, then nodded. "I know. I should have—"

"Shut up!" James yelled. Shocked, Lily and Anastasia were silent.

"It was her own damn fault. I'm sick of everyone blaming everyone else. If you're going to pin it on anyone, hate Voldemort!" Mr. and Mrs. Evans flinched at the name, but James wasn't done.

"She was on a mission for Dumbledore! It was her choice!" 

"Why the hell didn't Dumbledore go himself?!" Anastasia screamed shrilly. "Why the hell did he send someone with a family, a life, a future?! I hate him! I hope he gets his soul sucked out of him!" 

James looked like he was about to hit the girl, but he didn't.

"Don't you ever insult Dumbledore. And what you just said, it was an insult to your sister." He spat on the spotless floor. "You have no idea about anything."

"James!" Lily yelled, tugging on his robes. "She's just a kid!" 

"Regulus Black was just a kid too! He was her age when he joined Voldemort! Now he's dead! I don't want this girl to meet the same fate!" 

"Snap out of it!" Lily said, slapping him. She was sobbing. "Stop it James." 

He calmed down and sighed shakily.

"I'm sorry. Annie." He tried to hug her, but the girl pulled away. "I'm going to talk to Remus." 

James turned and walked out of the room, leaving an empty and grieving silence behind him. 

Lily watched him go. He knew Saraline well enough, but they weren't close friends like Alice and Frank to him. She knew that he was upset because she and Remus were upset, and James was just like that. This outburst was not like his usual self…Lily had never seen him yell at a little kid before, especially not a girl. She glanced over at Anastasia, who was staring at the door. Her dark blue eyes, tinged with hazel, turned over to look at Lily.

"I won't become a death eater." She said monotonously. "If that's what you think." 

Lily shook her head.

"And I don't really hate you, or that guy, or Dumbledore. I understand that my emotions are wild because of this sudden loss, but that in time I'll get over it." 

Lily was stunned to hear someone so young talk about this so rationally. It was like she was a psychiatrist diagnosing herself…

"I loved Sara." Was all Lily could muster. 

"So did I." Anastasia said. "And so did Remus." 

Katherine piped up from her corner. "Me too." 

"Me too!" Sammie yelled happily, "And mummy and daddy too!" She smiled at everyone, confused by their lack of enthusiasm about this consensus. She didn't even seem fazed by what her parents had just explained. 

Needless to say, the rest of the day was not fun. Within the hour and in the company of the adults and a very stubborn Anastasia, Saraline Stokes was freed from life. Her body would be cremated and a funeral would be held next week. The healers at St. Mungo's said that it was best, because if the body were still there, dementors may come and take it to try and make it into one of their own. 

Remus and Lily didn't recover quickly. Remus avoided the Stokes family. He said it was because he didn't want to intrude and remind them of their loss, but Lily wondered if it wasn't the other way around. Even Lily was stunned every time she saw Sammie. It was like the little girl would grow up and be Saraline someday, their likeness was so striking. James was, of course, very supportive and stayed protectively close to Lily. Sirius came by to help comfort, but was busy with a job and his apartment. 

And Petunia, well, Petunia was a bit worried about her sister, but nothing that she couldn't brush aside. Lily probably deserved the tragedy, meddling in dangerous things like she did. But for one moment, when she overheard part of the conversation that Lily was having with her boyfriend, she almost sympathized. 

"Lily, I have to be near you. Seeing Remus like this kills me…it makes me think…What if it was you on that mission? What if it was your funeral? God, Lily, I'd just kill myself." 

"Don't dwell on what might have happened." Lily said firmly, but her eyes were wet. "Sara was a good person. She'll be avenged."  

Petunia, for a brief second, imagined Vernon gone from her life. But then the image was gone, and her sister was just a crazy no good witch. 

Author: get it? Casual-tea? Casualty? Death. Sorry, that was dorky. Tell me how awful it was, but try not to flame. (Guess it's just a matter of time before someone does though.)

  -_- 

Oh, and to answer a question, J.K. Rowling said James was a seeker in an interview, but it isn't actually in the books. (And the interview was before Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix—she might have changed her mind) Plus she had some input in the movie, so it must not be that big of a deal if she didn't bother to correct the director. 

See ya'll tomorrow! (probably in the afternoon…)


	11. But With Happy Days

Chapter Eleven: But With Happy Days

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter, and I don't own the Princess Bride, and I don't own…lots of things actually…Even "my own characters" are based on some people…for example, James's mom is based on my little brother's friend's mom. ^_^ Coincidence! Coincidence!

Author: lets see, back to the sibling rivalry. But without both of them living in the same house it is harder you know…hmmm…Oh, and things are explained here about the mission and all that stuff, so you'll know what it is exactly. I meant to put this up yesterday…and I didn't. Sorry!

"Petunia, I want you to come to my wedding." Lily said. Her sister gave her a look of contempt. 

            "And why should I do that? If I remember correctly, little sister, you didn't come to my wedding." She sipped her tea, blond hair bobbing. 

            Lily grimaced. If Petunia found out that Lily actually did go to the wedding, ugh, the sappy sisterly love would take over and she would never again be freed.

            "So?" she said finally. "You always were more mature, right?" 

            "Lily, I'm not going. You and your _friends_ will just laugh at me the whole time, and I am not going to sit there and take it."

            "They will not laugh at you Petunia, I promise." 

            "No."

            "Please?"

            "No. Absolutely not. Even if I wanted to, I could never persuade Vernon to see all of you freaks dancing around being happy. Probably you'll all get drunk and destroy the whole party!" 

            "Petunia!" Lily said exasperatedly. "Can you never get over your stupid little prejudice? I can't believe this!" She stood up. 

            "Fine then, don't come. But if you do show up, I'll welcome you. And you asked why should you? I'll tell you why." Lily took a deep steadying breath. "I know three girls who would give anything to go to their sister's wedding, and can't because Saraline Stokes is dead and will never get married. I know a boy—a man, whose only brother was killed, and can't go to his wedding if he ever gets married." Petunia rolled her eyes, but Lily continued. "I think that it's pathetic that we argue about something like this, because, like it or not, you are my sister!" 

            "I'm going home." Petunia snapped. She picked up her purse and left, glaring at Lily angrily. 

            "The big day is coming!" Sirius said gleefully, pouring drinks for everyone. "Everyone" included Lily and James, Frank and Alice, Peter, and Remus.  They were at Sirius's apartment, a tiny run down thing on the edge of the city that was just clean enough to allow seven people to sit around comfortably. 

            "Are you nervous?" Frank asked seriously. Lily smiled.

            "I'm not. I knew I'd marry James Potter from the moment I layed eyes on him." She said. 

            "I seem to remember you cursing him into having boils on his nose the first time you layed eyes on him…" Alice began, but James just laughed.

            "Her first gift to me…" he said, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Hey Moony, remember that time that Snape made you grow breasts? Wasn't that his first gift to you? Think you'll be lovers?" 

            Remus laughed. "Oh yeah, in the first year. Mine were bigger than Lily's are now." Lily blushed and shoved Remus a little. 

            "My first gift to Snape was a howler…remember when we used to send them to him every week? But then McGonagall caught us. We got detention for a week huh?" 

            Sirius sat down next to Remus. 

            "Good times, good times." Everyone knew that Remus was suffering. Seeing the other happy couples made him sad. "Have a drink Moony." Sirius suggested, seeing the gaze that Remus had turned on Lily and James.

            "Nah, I think I'll go home." He stood up. "Not feeling too well." The others didn't meet his eyes. They all knew the full moon was still two weeks off. 

            "You'll be ok for the wedding this weekend?" Alice asked. Remus nodded, waving goodbye and leaving. Sirius walked him to the door.

            "You aren't thinking about what I think you're thinking about are you?" Sirius asked him. 

            "That made no sense Sirius." He answered. 

            "Stay." He said.

            "I…can't. I still think about her." 

            "We all do. You're just torturing yourself. Stay and cherish the friends you have. They miss her, but they also miss you. Remus…" Sirius paused and looked back at the table where the others were deep in conversation. 

            "Unless you promise to have a date in a week." 

            "What?" Remus asked.

            "A date. You and a girl. Next week. I can get Natalie or someone to go with me. C'mon." 

            "Sure, whatever, Can I leave now?" Remus asked. 

            With a worried look at his friend, Sirius let him leave alone, down the stairs and out onto the dark street. He closed the door and went back to the table. 

            "He's still beating himself up." Sirius informed his friends. Alice shook her head.

            "I don't get it. It why does he blame himself?" she asked softly, holding Frank's hand. 

            "It was a mission for Dumbledore. He was supposed to go, but he overlooked the fact that it was the same night as the full moon when he volunteered." James said.

            "So he attacked her?" Alice asked, shocked. 

            James shook his head. "No, nothing like that. He just couldn't go with her. He told her not to go, and didn't think she would…but obviously she thought the mission was more important…" 

            "What was the mission?" Lily asked. She knew some of this, but never had gotten Remus to tell the whole story. Usually she was in tears before she could ask him outright.

            "To Azkaban. To send a message to one of the prisoners who was in there spying. You see all the wild dementor attacks on the news, how they don't obey their masters anymore. The ministry doesn't believe it." 

            "So they turned on her when she was visiting Azkaban?" Alice said softly. She shivered. Her and Sara had been friends. 

            "Yes." James answered. "And Remus thinks that if he was there they wouldn't have attacked." 

            "Why couldn't she just go on a different day?" Lily suggested. Saraline was not rash, she would have thought of all the possibilities before rushing into something so dangerous.

            "Because the prisoner was about to be executed." James said. "But thanks to her, he managed to escape with valuable information." 

            "Who was the prisoner?" Lily asked. 

            "Me." James said. For a moment Lily sat in stunned silence, then tears streaked down her face. That was why he knew first. That was why he went to see Remus. That was why his face was so pale; why he told her he was helping Sirius move. Wait, he probably was the one who told Remus and Sara's family. 

            "You weren't helping Sirius move." She said.

            "No." Sirius answered. 

            "You knew too?!" Lily burst out.  "Why didn't you tell me??" she asked.

            Sirius looked at her though his long dark bangs and nodded. 

            "You would have tried to stop us." He said simply.  Lily couldn't argue with that. She could be angry about it though.

            "I can't believe this! James, you should have told me! I…What if Sara hadn't gone…oh…my best friend or my one true love…" she looked over at James. He had had to make that choice, purely in fun and games on the train ride home from Hogwarts so many months ago…it seemed like a different life, a different universe. Losing James…it seemed so possible all of a sudden… she sank into his arms. 

            "See Lily, you would have gotten all sobby... Embarrassing, this…" he kissed her forehead. "Don't cry…" 

            Sirius got up and hugged both of them, pretending to cry loudly. Peter laughed. 

            "Oh James, what would I do without you to hug me and kiss me?" he wailed. Alice gave him a disproving look. 

            "Sirius, this is serious!" 

            "I am Sirius." 

            "Oh please, I thought you got tired of that joke in the first year…" Frank complained. 

            Lily gave Sirius a big slobbery kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Sirius, I love you know." 

            "And I love you too, beautiful Lily." Sirius answered. James shoved him away. 

            "I don't love you, Padfoot, so stay away from my woman." He said. 

            "I'm hurt!" Sirius said, sitting back in his chair. Lily blew him a kiss, and then reprimanded James for being obsessive and mean, almost forgetting that he had tricked her and refused to tell her he was going on a dangerous, deadly mission. 

The ceremony that Lily had found so boring at her sister's wedding was suddenly the most meaningful and frightening things that she had ever faced. She stood at the back of the church in her gown and stared at the rows of people. 

She could do this. All she had to do was take it one step at a time. She had done it at the rehearsal! She had dreamed of this moment since she and Petunia were old enough to dress themselves and their dolls in wedding attire and pretend! Alice gave her a soft nudge and a quick smile before starting down. Finally it was her turn. 

Lily's father took her arm and steadied her as she walked, one foot, then the other. No one in the pews drew her attention from trying to get to the front of the church. (Although there was the unmistakable bright silver beard from Dumbledore and the huge shaggy head of everyone's favorite gamekeeper.) Then finally, James's smiling face, and she was in his arms. Sirius winked at her from his place next to James as best man, calming her nerves a little.

            "Mawwigge!" the preacher began, in a voice that rivaled Scuttle the Seagulls in ludicrousness. "Twuuu Luvvv!" he went on. Lily knew he was a very old friend of the Potters, but she did really having trouble understanding him. She kind of actually dazed out until James poked her. 

            "I do," he said. The church gave a giggle, and Lily realized he had just said 'I do' twice, loudly. 

            "Oh!" Lily exclaimed, blushing. "I do!" James slipped the ring on her finger and before the squawking old preacher could say the words, he kissed her on the lips. 

            The rest of the wedding day passed in a daze. Lily was swept away with everything, and she knew exactly why Petunia hadn't noticed that Lily had been at her own wedding. There could have been chimps dressed in robes on the stage for all she cared, because today she was becoming someone new. 

            "Mrs. Potter," Sirius asked her, bowing. "May I have this dance?" Lily nodded and lifted the hem of her gown, stepping gracefully onto the stage to dance. Sirius was not a bad dancer, either, very smooth and cool.

            "Sirius you have no idea how happy I am today." She said. 

            "I'm that good a dancer huh?" he asked, winking. He nodded over at James, who was dancing enthusiastically with Lily's mother. "He's happy too." He said. "You know why?" 

            "Because my mother is a good dancer?" Lily said shyly. 

            "Because you're happy." 

            Lily knew it was the truth. Sirius spun her around and passed her to Remus, who was looking very neat and combed in new robes, just for the occasion. 

            He danced very nicely also, but was gentler and bit slower, unlike Sirius's gallant show off footwork. Lily found herself comparing both to James, who was steady and strong, her anchor to reality with messy black hair and a smirking grin. 

            "Are you doing alright now Remus?" Lily asked. He nodded, but he didn't look all right. 

            "Don't worry about me Lily, Just enjoy yourself." 

            "It's hard without her," she said softly. Remus nodded, understanding.

            "She would want you to be happy." His gray eyes glanced over at the table where Saraline's family enjoyed some food. Little Sammie was now dancing with James, watched enviously by her other two sisters. It was actually very comical to watch, James bending over and holding her hands, her pink party dress twirling along with bouncing curls. Lily motioned for Remus to go over to Katherine and Anastasia, and found herself dancing with Peter. He was blushing, face red. His dancing could use some improvement, and she told him so before laughing and trading him for Frank. Strong and silent, but incredibly smart, he was not a horrible dancer, and only stepped on her feet a few times. 

            "Lily, I'm glad that you and James are properly married. Alice was worried about being the first ones to get hitched, but now she feels better. 

            "I bet she does. We'll be old ladies together, won't we Alice?" Lily called over to her dark haired friend, who waved merrily. She was dancing with Sirius, who was doing some sort of tap dancing number in a circle around her and not really with her. Sammie clapped her hands in tune with the music, watching Sirius with an expression of deep adoration. 

            As soon as he was done he bowed and skipped off to get a drink. Finally, the dance floor emptied until it was just Lily and James. 

            "Well, Lily, How does it feel to be a wedded woman?" James asked. She smiled.

            "Wonderful. How are you doing today? Having a nice married life so far?" 

            "Oh yes, smashing." James said. "But I can't wait until the wedding night. I think that that will be the best part of married life." 

            "Seek happy nights with happy days" Lily quoted Shakespeare. "And so we have."

            "I love you." James said

            "I love you." Lily answered. 

*****


	12. Baby Boom

Chapter Twelve: Baby Boom

Author: So sorry to 'skip' all the exciting work that they are doing with the Order, but it just doesn't flow well with the story (I tried working it in and it just felt wrong…)  This is the third time I wrote this part, but I like what happened to it. (that was part of the delay, sorry) Anyway, thanks soooo much for all of the positive comments. ^_^ I really appreciate it. By the way, this is nearing the end, and there are only about one or two chapters left. I have had a blast writing this, so I hope you enjoy it as well!

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Don't own it. Don't own it. Happy? (I'm not)

            Lily was about to have a baby. Petunia was about to have a baby. Alice was about to have a baby. Lily was very very excited about this. Alice was incredibly happy about this. Petunia, however, was enraged.

            "Mother! I don't want her to have her baby the same day! She just wants to ruin it for me and you know she does! I want my baby to have a special day all to himself, and not share it with _her_ child!"  This rage came about because Lily and Petunia were due in one week, on the same exact date. 

            "Now Petunia, dear. Lily couldn't have done this any more on purpose than you did." Mrs. Evans tried to calm her daughter, but she wouldn't listen.

            "NO! She used some kind of _magic_ to spite me!" 

            "Petunia, dear, Lily isn't like that. Besides, babies will come when they come. You can't force nature."

            But still she was not deterred. "You always take her side!" She fumed, throwing the little green blanket across the kitchen. "Always! You don't…sob…understand how much this means!" she was crying, and Mrs. Evans took her into her arms. 

            This kind of loud outburst could not be good for anyone's health, especially not Petunia's. Mrs. Evans understood that it was hard on a girl to have a baby, seeing as she had given birth to two herself. 

            "Petunia, settle down." She told the blond girl. Petunia sniffled. 

            "Mother, I'm sorry. It's just…my birthday was never special because it was at the same time as Lily's winter holiday, and you never paid any attention…I want my baby to have the best birthdays ever…" 

            "Sweetie, your birthday was special! We always thought that you didn't want to make such a big deal!"

            "But Lily's birthday was always a big deal. You always spent the entire week shopping for things to send to her at school, whatever she wanted, because you missed her, because she was so smart and pretty, and…." Petunia burst into tears. "Then…there was that boy, and you loved him, and you hate Vernon! And now you're going to hate my baby because you think he'll be just like Vernon!!" 

            "I do not hate Vernon Petunia." Mrs. Evans said. "And I will not hate your baby. I love both my daughters." Now she looked near tears because of the accusations, and instantly Petunia felt bad. 

            "I know mummy." She whimpered, hugging her mother. Suddenly, her mother, the same one who had been there to make her cookies and hug her when a boyfriend dumped her, to bring her soup in bed when she was sick, seemed so much older, so much more like a tired old woman. If she hadn't already been crying, her eyes would have misted over. Soon her mother would be a grandmother. That was about as traumatizing as becoming a mother, and about as life changing. Petunia gave one last sniffle and drew out of the hug. 

            "I understand perfectly Petunia, but you can be sure that things will work out, they always do."

            Lily and James were in a much calmer state, having tea with Peter at their house. James was bustling around with dishes and plates, refusing to let Lily do anything at all but sit and relax, which for a while was nice, but Lily got bored easily. 

            "Don't spill that James! Its our last bag of hot spice jumping bean tea!" He turned to face her, sloshing all of it out of the cup.  She winced and moved to bend down and wipe it off the floor.

            "No it isn't, and don't get that! Peter!" Peter jumped out of his chair and wrestled the rag out of Lily's grip, forcing her back into her chair and using his wand to clear up the mess. 

            "Honesty girl, you forget you're a witch sometimes?"  Lily scowled at them. She did forget sometimes, times like this when she was at home. It reminded her too much of the happy days before she had gone to Hogwarts. 

            "And it isn't our last bag. Peter just went and got some, so relax!" James set the cups down on the table, grinning at her good-naturedly. Peter saw that Lily was not so at ease however, and quickly changed the subject.

            "Thought of any names yet Lily?" He asked. Lily brightened immediately. 

            "Oh! Yes, I was thinking of Herbert, do you like it?" Peter laughed at the expression on James's face. 

            "Brilliant Lily." He remarked. "What do you think James?"        

            "I was thinking more along the lines of 'James Harold Potter II' or something." Now Lily scowled. 

            "That's so stupid. It makes you sound conceited to name your kid after you."

            "But it's a nice name! I like it, so why wouldn't the baby?" 

            "Because it would remind him of you?" Peter suggested, and James flicked some tea at him from out of his cup. Peter didn't take any notice. "Why don't you name him after someone? Like 'Albus' or 'Sirius'?" 

            "That's even dumber Peter," James said, finally acknowledging that his own idea was pretty absurd. "Then we'd all get confused. 'Sirius Potter' makes it sound like Sirius is my husband or something." 

            Peter nodded solemnly. "Now that would be a tragedy." The whole conversation was stupid to him. He would just name the kid "Joe" or something boring. That is, if he could ever find a girl willing to marry him. Or even just date him.

            "Have you been to see Alice?"  James asked. Peter nodded.

            "She's doing good. Frank is freaking out though."

            "Why?" Lily asked. Usually Frank was very calm. 

            "His mom is staying with them to help out."

            "Oh…" Lily and James said together. Mrs. Longbottom was a very severe witch. She even gave McGonagall a run for her money on strictness. No wonder Frank was freaking out. (Anyone else would be in hysterics.)

            "How's your sister?" Peter asked Lily. She glared.

            "I don't know and I don't care. She wants to name her kid something horrible like 'Walda'. Ugh." Lily hadn't spoken to her sister in a while. All of this information was through Mrs. Evans. "She's so horrible. You know she thinks that I'm trying to have my baby on the same day to ruin her kid's birthday??" 

            "Are you?" Peter asked seriously, and James kicked him.

            "Of course not. That's so stupid. I don't even care about her dumb kid. I don't plan on letting little Alex play with little Agatha ever!" Lily said.

            "Alex?" Peter asked questioning.

            "Or Herbert or whatever I decide on."

            "She means what we decide on." James added, but Lily glared. "Or what she decides on. We still have about a week." 

            "What about godparents?" 

            "Sirius." James said quickly.

            "Saraline." Lily said just as quickly. But then she turned deathly pale. "I mean…oh I just…oh…" James took her hand. 

            "Lily, its alright. We talked about this remember? Petunia is going to be his godmother. We tried to use Remus…but he'd have to go through a sex change, and we didn't think it was worth it."

            "What about Alice?" Peter asked. James shook his head. 

            "We thought of her too…but she's not close enough. If something happens, Dumbledore wants our baby to be able to stay with muggles for safety." 

            "D-don't say things like that." Peter said hurriedly, face pale. "Nothing's gonna happen to you. I'll be sure of that." 

            "Thanks Pete." James said gruffly, patting him on the back. "We gotta be realistic. But thanks." 

            Petunia had her baby, a large, healthy boy named Dudley on the exact date that was prescribed for him to be born.  Lily heard news of this through her mother, but never actually met the boy. From the pictures, he was going to be a lot like Vernon. Lily hoped desperately that her baby was just like his father. If he was like James, then she knew that he would be ok. James was the best person that she knew, and she loved him. The second best thing to being with him twenty-four-seven would be being with someone just like him. 

            She had her baby, Harry, a week and a half after he was due, and he was a carbon copy of his dad. Lily and Sirius both were in awe, never having seen James cry so much in his life. When he held his baby for the first time, a precious gift from Lily, he just couldn't stop sobbing. (Sirius tried to take the baby to keep it from drowning, but gave up when James threatened to hex him.) Sirius was happy for the couple. He figured that he would never have any kids of his own, and so promised the Potters to spoil Harry rotten for them. 

            Lily was, besides exhausted, relieved that Harry didn't have blond hair like his aunt Petunia. In fact, just the opposite was his thick mop of black hair. (He wasn't born bald like some babies) 

            Once James managed to stop crying, he lay down on the hospital bed with Lily, baby Harry between them, and said to Sirius that this was, in fact, the happiest and most perfect moment of his life.

            And it was.

            **********

Author: (crying) That was my favorite part!!! (sob) ^_^ 


	13. Dirty Laundry

Chapter Thirteen: Dirty Laundry

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I just write fan fiction. 

Author: Coming to a close…. The next chapter is an epilogue chapter. Thank you fro the reviews and nice comments!

Lily packed away the last of her things into a box and set it on top of the bed. Leaving. Hiding. She understood why…but it was still hard. Little Harry gurgled happily at her from his crib, oblivious to his mother's worries. Lily was happy in a way that he didn't know what was going on. Leaving everything to hide from someone so evil that he wanted to kill the child. Lily went over and stroked Harry's soft black hair, and he drooled a little bit and stomped happily on his blanket. 

            A year. It had been a year since he had come, and he had been nothing but a blessing. Too often Lily and James would pick him up at his grandparent's house, injured and shaken, and laughed with him all night, cherishing the time that they had with their only son. Hopefully after all this mess was over, they could plan to give Harry some little siblings to keep him company. Lily had always sort of envied Saraline for having a big, happy (or not so happy always) family. It was a gift to each of the children to have another person to love and play with. She herself remembered Petunia and her playing dolls and dress up in their earlier days, and even Sirius mentioned wrestling with (beating up) his little brother. 

            But this mess wasn't over. Lily, James, and their baby son Harry would have to hide, live like muggles, until it was safe. Sometimes she wished that Harry could have a normal life, not grow up to be some kind of child of heroes, child of the dark ages. But if that meant that things would have changed, she took it back. Alice and her wouldn't have been so close if not for Voldemort, Dumbledore and Sirius and Remus and Peter would just be friends, not loving relatives. 

            That evening Lily sat up waiting for James, looking through the pictures from their wedding two years ago. Did Petunia feel this way when she was with Vernon? Did she think about him every moment that he was away from her? Lily shook her head, ignoring the little bit of guilt she felt about not being able to share these kind of things with her sister. When they were young, they talked about getting married and living next door to one another. Now? They barely spoke. Lily didn't think it was such a loss really. Peering at a picture of James and her and Sirius waving merrily, she told herself that she had a new family now. Her picture self was squashed between the two handsome men, one holding on to each arm. Then picture Lily and picture James exchanged a quick kiss, causing picture Sirius to turn red and make a face like getting sick. 

            There was another one, of Lily dancing with James. It was so perfect, so right. Both of them looked happier than ever. She wished that she could live as that picture forever. 

            Then there was one of Dumbledore, and he looked like…Yes! He was drinking a glass of wine. Lily smiled. Caught in the act professor! 

            She turned the page of the album and looked through a few of the group pictures at the wedding. There was Remus, Sirius, Peter, James, Hagrid, Herself, her parents, the Potters, and…who was that. Lily looked closer at the witch in plain black robes that she hadn't noticed before. The lady was shifting uncomfortably and glancing in irritation at Hagrid, who was flailing a mug of ale widely. Lily poked the picture to make that witch come to the front, and stared with interest…blonde hair, pale green eyes. 

            Lily dropped the album. No way. Noooo way. None at all. But…she picked up the album and stared intently at the blonde witch…who wasn't a witch after all. It was Petunia.

            It seemed that she and her sister still thought alike. Lily reminisced for a moment about once when they were in primary school and wore matching colors at least once a week, purely by coincidence. 

            That must have taken lots of guts, Lily thought, still gawking at the picture. Where had Petunia gotten those robes? And that witch's hat? And without her husband knowing? Why did she go at all? 

            _Maybe,_ Lily thought, _maybe she wanted to see me happy, one last time, before we went  our separate ways. Because we are sisters after all. _

            Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of many someones apparating into the next room. Lily shoved the album into the box of stuff she had been sifting through and went to greet them and scold the loud voices. Harry was still asleep!

            "Lily!" James rushed over to her and steered her towards a chair. Peter and Sirius looked anxiously at the pair. "We have to do this now, and in a hurry alright?" 

            "Sure, but why?" 

            "There's been attacks. My parents…your parents…" 

            "Oh no, oh god! Are they alright?" she asked. James looked strained. 

            "Lily, I'm sorry, the houses were destroyed. We got there too late." 

            "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my…" Lily breathed heavily, overwhelmed with guilt, then grief, then relief. "Harry…was supposed to be with them tonight…oh my god James, what if I hadn't stayed home to do the laundry…oh my god…" 

            James looked grimly at his wife, feeling numb to everything at the moment. His parents and In-Laws murdered all in one night…it was so dumbfounding that he could hardly comprehend. 

            "We decided to switch too…Peter instead of Sirius. We think…it would be too obvious. Like Dumbledore, obvious right? And he can't afford to hide." 

            "Oh my god, oh my god…" Lily hadn't even stopped to consider who did what…Harry had nearly died. Good fortune had saved her son from death. James's words were only an echo in her mind. She bolted from the kitchen and ran into the bedroom as fast as she could to check on Harry…. There he was sleeping peacefully in his crib.

            "Oh Harry!" Lily picked up the sleeping child and rocked him in her arms, crying. "I almost lost you today Harry." She told him. James appeared at the door. 

            "Lily, we have to do this now." He said, but he sounded unconvinced. He walked over to Lily and Harry and wrapped them both tightly in his arms. Harry struggled a little in his sleep, but was otherwise undisturbed by the happenings of the night. 

            In the kitchen Peter and Sirius sat silently considering things. Both were pale and sweating, having just come from the wrecked houses of The Potters and The Evans. It was quite a scene, bodies lifeless and staring, dark mark hovering in the sky eerily. Sirius wished he could tear it out of the sky, summon the dark wizards and kill them one by one. He almost felt remorseful about thinking these things…but in the end, he didn't even care. People were dying and people would keep dying. Evil would never be gone completely. He glanced over at Peter, who was shaking slightly. Probably terrified, poor boy. He would be a target as soon as anyone found out that the secret-keeper duty was transferred to him, something that Sirius was still unsure of. 

            Peter was a good kid, but under pressure…well even back at Hogwarts he would tattle if it meant his own hide was on the line. 

            James and Lily appeared in the kitchen, both red eyed. 

            "Ready?" Sirius asked. 

            Lily nodded, but she wasn't ready. Not really. She just wanted to sit and hold James and Harry and cry. But she couldn't and she wouldn't. If she could have anything she wanted, she would sit and have tea with Saraline, be a babysitter to her best friend's many sandy haired children, eat ice cream with her mother and sister… James took her hand and sat her down at the table across from Sirius, who gazed at her fondly as if she was his own sister.

            "No offense Peter," Sirius said. "But you guys are sure you don't want to use me?" James nodded grimly. Lily was silent. Peter looked so scared, so worried for them… 

"I know I can trust my friends." Lily said softly. It was settled. Everyone pulled out their wands. It was the beginning of a long and tiring night. 

But Lily just couldn't stop thinking…Harry's life had been saved by a few bags of dirty laundry. 

***

"No wands" James muttered angrily, soaping up the dishes in the sink. "I can't believe I am doing this." Lily was playing patty cake with Harry and trying to get him to eat the rest of his crackers. They were shaped like pumpkins, special for Halloween. She grinned at James's attempt to scrub the dishes without getting his shirt all wet. "I feel like I'm in detention or something." 

"Look Harry, Daddy's in detention!" Lily said, pointing at an increasingly wet and annoyed James. Harry giggled and pointed at him, clapping the other hand on his high chair top and scattering crackers everywhere.      

"I don't want my son to grow up a muggle." James said, but he smiled fondly at Harry anyway, forgetting about the dishes and overflowing the water in the sink so that his shoes were splashed. 

"I grew up like a muggle and I turned out ok." Lily commented, and James smiled enchantingly.

"Lily m'dear, you could have grown up with a herd of hags and still turned out alright."

"Didn't you ever pay attention in school? Hags don't live in herds!"

"If I paid attention, you think I would have gotten so many detentions?" 

Lily laughed, shaking her head. Harry laughed too; he always did if Lily did. Green eyes crinkling and messy hair flopping. Lily tried tying into a little ponytail once, but James took it out immediately, indignant that his son would look like a girl. James watched his wife and child. How he ended up such a lucky guy was beyond him. While Lily saw so much James in Harry, James saw a lot of Lily in Harry. His personality, beyond the daring ventures to climb everything in sight, was quieter and more natural than usual for a baby. Sometimes he looked at his father and James could swear the kid was trying to trap in that gaze…but then seconds later he would tug at his dad's glasses and laugh. Such a happy baby…

"Was Sirius coming by today?" Lily asked. 

James nodded and pointed out the window where a scruffy looking muggle was approaching the door. He abandoned the dishes and went to greet his friend. 

"James," Sirius said, stepping inside the small house quickly and speaking under his breath. 

"What's the matter?" James asked, equally quiet.

"It's Peter, we can't find him anywhere. No one's heard from him in two days, and he was supposed to check into headquarters yesterday." 

"He wouldn't." James said quickly.

"No, but what if he's captured, hurt? I'm going to look for him, but be on your guard. If he's killed, then the charm will be broken." 

"Right. Happy Halloween Sirius. Come say hi to Lily and Harry?" 

"Can't. I have to go. Give 'em my love though, alright?" 

"Sure. Be careful." 

Sirius turned and left, disappearing mysteriously after walking only a few houses down. James closed the door and went back to the kitchen, where Lily and Harry were both munching on the crackers. She must have decided that eating and having Harry copy her was the most effective way to get him to eat. 

"Was that Sirius? Didn't he come in?" 

"No, he couldn't stay." James sat down and took a cracker from Harry's plate, but the boy howled in anger and tried to take it back.

"Noooo!" he said loudly. 

"Sorry!" James said, giving him back the cracker and watching as the boy shoved it in his mouth along with another fistful. Lily handed James one from the plate, and Harry didn't even seem to notice the crime. 

"What did he say?" Lily asked. 

"Peter's missing." James answered. "It's been two days." 

"Is he alright?" Lily sounded anxious. She knew what Peter was like, careless sometimes. 

"No idea. Sirius is out to find him. Sends you guys his love." 

"He should have come in. I haven't seen much of him lately. Haven't seen much of anyone lately." 

James nodded. Being in hiding meant that friends couldn't just stop by. Even owls were a risk, because they might lead people to believe something was going on. 

"I was hoping Alice could bring Neville over to play with Harry. You know he must get bored of his old parents sometimes…" Lily said. Not that she didn't love spending time with him, but she worried that his social skills would be hindered by being an only child with no company his age. Plus she wanted to visit with her friend Alice. It had been a while since anyone had come by, because of all the risks. 

"No…I guess we should just stay here and celebrate Halloween as a little family." James smiled, remembering Hogwarts Halloweens. The great hall must look awesome about now, after coming back from a day at Hogsmeade. 

"That's fine then. I guess I can make some cookies."

"Cookie!" Harry exclaimed, looking around. 

"I have to make them Harry," Lily explained. "Cookies, _later._ Not now." 

James tried again to steal a pumpkin cracker, but was caught again and forced to return it to the plate. He pretended to look sad, and finally Harry offered him a slobbery handful, which James ate delightedly. 

That night, the Potter family was indeed celebrating Halloween in their own little way, when there was a blast at the door. 

"Honestly!" Lily said, starting to get up. She figured it was some wild trick-or-treaters, but James stopped her. 

"Get to the bedroom Lily, take Harry, I'll hold them off." 

"Death Eaters!" Lily whispered. She didn't hesitate, but pulled her wand out of her shirt and scooped up Harry. "James, be careful!" She kissed him on the cheek and ran to the bedroom, shutting the door and sealing it with as many spells as she could think of. There were yells coming from the living room. 

_James!_ She thought. But there wasn't time for tears. Peter must be dead now, who knows what happened to Sirius when he went to find them. If James was captured…she would be the only one to save Harry. 

The baby was nervous, sensing the anxiousness in his mother and he whimpered a little. Lily hugged him and wrapped him in a blanket. 

"I love you Harry." 

There was more yelling, screams, a booming voice, and then the entire house shook. Harry cried out. 

"It's alright Harry, you'll be safe with me." Her mind was flying, thinking of any spells that might deter the Death Eaters. 

"FIND THEM!" The horrible voice screamed. Lily shut her eyes and tried to calm Harry down. 

She knew it was coming. Then, the door. It took them three tries to blast it open, but it came off. Lily felt a cut on her face from the explosion, but she shielded Harry with her body. 

"Where's the child?" Lily turned and faced the voice. Him. It was him. All her worst nightmares were coming true.

"Where's James?" She croaked. The horrible man laughed bitterly. 

"You think one man, one puny pathetic mortal man could stop me? He fought bravely, yes, but he is dead. Hand over the child woman."

"You'll have to kill me." She said. It was Voldemort. The one person that everyone she knew was afraid of. His skin was pale, almost transparent, and his eyes burned red with inner fire. His mouth was a gaping hole in his mouth; robes hid the rest of him from view, thankfully. 

Lily hid Harry behind her, but he was scared and crying. She didn't want his little eyes to see this horrible monster. 

            "You'll never get Harry." She said. "Never." 

            Now Voldemort laughed again, it should have been impossible by the shape of his mouth, but the sound came, then again. 

            "Stand aside girl." He ordered. Lily stood fast. "Stand aside!" Lily shook her head.

            "Kill me. Just do it. What's one more life?" instead he threw her out of the way, hand burning her flesh, wand poised to attack the child. 

            "No! Not Harry! Me, Just kill me, leave Harry alone!" Lily screamed, crying. "Kill me!" 

            "So eager to die?" The Dark Lord asked. "But then, who will protect…Harry?" he said it with an air of distaste, as if it seemed dumb to call such a useless creature by name.

            "I will." Lily said stubbornly. Her arm was throbbing and swollen from where he had touched her. Voldemort laughed again. 

            "I may grant your wish then." He said, turning and pointing at Lily. "Avada Kedavra!" Lily looked right into the green light. 

            _Just let Harry Live. I love you Harry. _

            Lily was dead. Harry screamed, as if he knew that his mother was gone from him forever. "Foolish girl." Voldemort said. He turned to the little boy, who was crying and reaching for his mother's lifeless body. 

            The rest is History. 

*****

 Author: One more to go! It will be up tomorrow!


	14. Epilogue

            Chapter Fourteen/Epilogue: After All

Disclaimer: For the last and final time, I do not own Harry Potter.

Author: Thank you for the comments, please enjoy the last part…We are getting a new computer, and after everything settles in I will begin a new story…^_^ Expect A Remus Romance sometime next week! 

            Petunia sighed and put the little silver ring on her finger. After all these three years, it still fit her thin hand perfectly. The silver glinted in the dim light, little flowers swirling along the edge, seeming to move almost. 

            Why had he brought it up? Why had Vernon, despite her reminders to him that she didn't want anything to do with her sister, ask about their nephew? Harry. Son of her sister and that awful boy…Of course she knew him, not that she had ever seen him. He would grow up and be just like his father, he would remind Petunia of all the horrible things in her life that were caused by her sister. 

            Now her parents were dead too, as of last week. Tonight was Halloween and Dudley was eating the last of the cookies she made for him downstairs with Vernon. But she was up here, thinking about her sister. And the ring…

            Lily had given it to her, wrapped in a napkin, for her birthday three years ago. It seemed so long ago, that horrible ordeal. She had been so embarrassed she could hardly stand it. She hadn't opened the gift for at least a month, and when she did she shoved it to the back of her jewelry box and never wore it, lest Lily see and think she was being sisterly. 

            Now though, with her parents gone, Lily was the only family she had left. Like it or not. 

            Petunia sat down on the edge of the bed. It was Lily's fault, all her fault. If she hadn't gotten involved, then everything would be different. If only her parents had forbidden her to go off to that school…

            Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts. Petunia listened closely, heard Vernon open the door, then he yelled loudly. Petunia went over to the window and peered down at the doorstep, where there was a basket, bundled. Vernon called to her loudly to come see, and she turned and hurried down the stairs.

            "Petunia!" Vernon's face was red like it always was when he was distressed. He waved an envelope at her face, but didn't let her see it. "It's him! It's him!" He didn't look happy about this however. 

            "It's who?" Petunia bent down by the basket, still on the doorstep, and looked inside. A baby boy, about the same age as Dudley stared up at her with green eyes, black hair sticking up. He whimpered. 

            "Oh my god." Petunia said, standing up and clutching her chest. It couldn't be. Lily knew that Petunia didn't want to have their kids, cousins that they were even, consorting or becoming friends. 

            "Vernon, let me see the letter." The man handed the piece of paper to his wife, whose face was pinched and anxious. 

            "She's dead…" Petunia's heart fell and her eyes filled with tears. "Both of them…oh my god Vernon…" 

            Vernon watched nervously. He didn't like to see Petunia cry, but the best he could do was pat her on the back. 

            "Now now, you weren't all that fond of them anyway—"

            "She was my _sister Vernon!" Petunia wailed. "my sister. And I was horrible to her, and now she's dead!" _

            "Well…err…" Vernon didn't know what to say. He glanced at the letter crumpled in her hand.  "We can't keep another child…the funds…we have Dudders to think of…" 

            Petunia shook her head and looked down at the child on their doorstep. 

            "Of course not Vernon." She said, and he sighed in relief. But then she looked down at the letter again. 

            _I am sure that you will take care of this child, your blood relative. After all, what would any sister do? _

            The green curvy writing was smeared from Petunia's sweaty hand and hard to read through all the crinkles. 

            What would Lily do it Dudley was left on their doorstep? Vernon went to close the door and leave the baby outside. 

            "We'll take him to a shelter in the morning, can't very well have him crawling around the house…" 

            "No!" Petunia stuck her hand out, almost causing it to get smashed by the closing of the heavy door. "We-we can't leave him outside, it's chilly…" 

            Vernon looked apprehensive, but nodded and let Petunia pull the basket in and carry the baby to the living room. His face was dirty and his hair desperately needed combing. A thin lightning bolt-shaped cut flawed his smooth delicate skin. 

            "Vernon, we have to keep him…" Petunia said finally. 

            "What!? Petunia, what about Dudley?" Vernon exclaimed.

            "Dudley will be fine." 

            "But what about…in the letter…_magic…?" he whispered the last part, as if Dudley, who was screaming in the other room, might hear and get funny ideas. _

            "He won't learn it. We'll keep him until he's 18, then after that, he's gone. I owe it to my sister…" Her blond hair hid her eyes from view, but Vernon had the feeling she was crying.

            "Petunia-" he sputtered. Then, finally, "Alright. Whatever you want." His wife had lost her mother, father, and sister all in one week. She was probably feeling a bit like an orphan right now too. A bit like Harry. 

            Petunia was ashamed of herself. How could she even think about not taking care of her sister's own child? A helpless baby with no family but her…She shivered and thought of Dudley, parentless and crying on Lily's front doorstep. 

            But no magic. They would be sure that he didn't get involved in any of that dangerous stuff that his parents were into, the stuff that got them killed. It was for his protection as much as her own family's. After all, Mr. and Mrs. Evans weren't hardly involved and they were murdered. Petunia remembered the looks on her mother and father's faces at the funerals. Her mother would have been embarrassed to see her daughters not helping each other out. She told them both so on many occasions. 

            With one last thought, Petunia realized that she wasn't helping Lily at all, she was doing it for her mother. 

            But the ring on her finger…and memories of that one time, when she had pretended to be a witch as a disguise at the Potter's wedding…that was really why she did it. Why she convinced Vernon to keep the baby. Why it was important. 

            _After all, what would any sister do?_

THE END

Author: Thank you, thank you, thank you! Please leave a review to tell me your overall reaction to the story. (love, hate, needs improvement, etc.)  Thanks. ^_^


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